The Lady of Shallott
by X-magicalmystery-X
Summary: Arthur was going to marry Guinevere, Merlin would be and almighty wizard and the knights of the round table would roam the land delivering justice to all. At least that was what everybody thought...perhaps they were wrong.
1. Chapter 1: On either side the river lie

_On either side the river lie__  
><em>_Long fields of barley and of rye,__  
><em>_That __clothe__ the wold and meet the sky;__  
><em>_And thro' the field the road runs by__  
><em>_To many-tower'd Camelot;_

They rode on in silence; nobody really knew what to say. The tension was almost palpable as the men progressed through the forest, some on horseback some on foot, looking to all the world as though they had been thoroughly defeated.

The King rode slightly ahead of the others, pretending not to notice their worried looks. He focussed instead upon the towers of the castle that was just becoming visible over the tops of the trees. Next to him walked another man, although he seemed barely more than a boy, his eyes darted around the forest, always looking for something that would distract him from the expression on the King's face. His name was Merlin and he, unlike the others, had already realised that something was about to happen.

Presently there was the sound of a shout some distance away, they all froze. Several knights reached for the handles of their swords; there was a moment or two of total silence. Then a young girl burst into the clearing, gasping for breath and running as fast as her legs could carry her. She barely even noticed them as she flew past, her auburn hair flying out behind her, escaping the bun it appeared to have been forced into. Just as she sped past Merlin, his hand shot out and seized her upper arm, bringing her to an abrupt halt. She tried to yank her arm away from him and when that failed she swung her spare fist into his face. Then she saw who he was and looked stunned, she staggered backwards slightly, eyes wide.

"Merlin?" she gasped "Oh god I'm so sorry, are you alright?"

He nodded, rubbing his swelling cheek "what's going on?"

Her face assumed the same terrified, desperate expression as when she had first entered the clearing. "I can't explain I have to go" She turned to run again but at that moment three men emerged into the clearing in pursuit of her. One was small, middle aged and balding, wheezing as he tried to keep up, the other two were large and muscular and both looked furious. The first sported a rapidly blossoming black eye, the other a bleeding hand. The smallest man gave a yell as he saw her and started towards her when his progress was blocked by a figure descending from a horse, the King stood in front of him.

"Can I help you?" he said to the man, eyebrows raised

"You can get out of my way"

"And why exactly would I want to do that?"

"So I can get to this little wretch you imbecile"

"You may want to take a little more care when addressing your King, sir. Why exactly are you so desperate to get your hands on her?"

He recovered quickly from his initial shock as he realised who he was stood before "beg pardon, sire. She is my niece, the most ungrateful little beast that has ever existed. She was on her way to be married when she attacked my men and ran away"

"Did she even agree to this marriage?" said Merlin angrily, gripping the girl's forearm protectively

"I accepted on her behalf, the law clearly states that, as her legal guardian I have the right to choose her husband and she cannot refuse"

Arthur turned to her "Am I to understand that you refuse to marry the man chosen for you?"

Somehow she found her voice "Yes, your highness." She swallowed and raised her eyes to meet his "he's thirty years older than me and he's a brute. I'll be his fourth wife, all the others died in suspicious circumstances. It doesn't really matter though, there's plenty of silver in it for Uncle Hector."

"Well in that case" Arthur turned back to her uncle "I will relieve you of the burden of your guardianship of this girl, she will be a ward of Camelot from now onwards."

Hector opened his mouth to protest but Gwaine cut in "I suggest you leave now" he said sharply. Hector seemed to wish to protest but thought better of it and shuffled away with the two others in tow, scowling.

The girl's whole body sagged with relief and she fell against Merlin who managed to steer her towards the trunk of a fallen tree until she regained the use of her legs. Her face was deathly pale and she couldn't speak.

"You know her?" Elyan asked Merlin curiously as he watched her try to regain a normal pattern of breathing

Merlin nodded "Kate and I grew up in the same village, I knew her older brothers"

"You have brothers?" asked Gwaine incredulously, she nodded "why didn't they stop your uncle, surely they could have claimed to be your guardians?"

"Andrew died a couple of years ago" she wheezed "James is a blacksmith in Mercia, Peter is somewhere in Caerleon and Harold is a guard in Camelot, none of them were near enough to do anything" she swallowed and took another deep breath before she looked up at Arthur. He was taken aback, he hadn't really had the chance to look at her properly before that moment. He had originally taken her to be barely more than a child because she was fairly small but she must have been around 18 years old. Now the colour was returning to her face she looked almost pretty, with pleasant features and large, clear hazel eyes. "Thank you" she whispered, "I know you didn't have to do that but I can't thank you enough" she turned to Merlin "and I'm really sorry about hitting you, I was just worried when I couldn't get away"

"It's not too sore" he smiled, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Percival laughed "for a lady you seem to throw a good punch"

For the smallest moment her eyes flashed and her chin lifted slightly "I can hit harder than some men" she said defiantly "and I have yet to be beaten with a dagger"

"Oh?" Arthur raised an eyebrow "how about with a sword?"

"I know how to use one" she replied, meeting his gaze levelly "I used to help my brothers practice, they wanted me to be able defend myself against my uncle"

"What happened?" asked Merlin quietly

"I sort of gave up" she mumbled, studying her feet which they suddenly realised were bare "if he found me with a weapon he'd steal it from me and beat me with it. As a woman there's not much I can do, if he says I hit him and people believe it I could hang" She rose slightly unsteadily to her feet "I really can't thank you all enough for what you've done but I should probably go"

Arthur frowned "go where? You're coming with us"

She looked confused "why would you want me to?"

"Because I said you would be a ward of Camelot and I meant it"

"You can come and live in the castle" Merlin reassured her, she was speechless

"I can work as a maid I suppose" she mumbled, her eyes wide

"Arthur didn't help you just so you would work for him" Gwaine frowned

She nodded "I know, but I'd rather earn my way if I can, I won't be a burden to anyone" her tone of voice was firm and left no room for argument. Even Arthur saw that there would be no reason to protest.

"Alright then" Merlin smiled "let's go"

The group turned toward the castle in the distance and resumed their progress.

A/N: Ok, don't hate me if I've gotten stuff wrong, I only really got into Merlin this year and this is the first fanfic I've written that wasn't about Harry Potter but hopefully this wasn't too bad...let me know what you think


	2. Chapter 2: Underneath the Bearded Barley

_Underneath the bearded barley,__  
><em>_The reaper, reaping late and early,__  
><em>_Hears her ever chanting cheerly,__  
><em>_Like an angel, singing clearly,_

It didn't take long for Kate to settle into life in the castle. Merlin made sure she had a bedroom to herself and, while it was never officially agreed what her duties were as an employee of the castle, she made sure everybody very clearly understood that she was working there to pay for her clothes, food and general upkeep. To the King and his knights, she had determined to be nothing more than a face they occasionally saw in and around the castle as they went about their daily business.

She never seemed to be short of things to do, always running errands for the kitchens or cleaning or helping Merlin with his chores. She treated him as though he were an older brother that she hadn't seen in years, always talking to him. Gaius, of course, thought she was wonderful because she never seemed to tire of helping him and Merlin as they both struggled to lead their double lives. She had found out about the magic after being there only a few days. Mid-rant about Arthur's behaviour that morning which had been particularly unpleasant, Merlin had tripped over a stall, pulling a table cloth with him. But the plates and flasks and other fragile objects that should have shattered beyond repair on impact with the floor had hovered for a moment before returning to their original position.

This had all happened just at the moment in which Kate had walked through the door. Gaius and Merlin had both been frozen to the spot in terror as she stared very deliberately from the table to the floor and from the floor to Merlin. Then she very carefully shut the door behind her and turned to face them.

"I knew it!" she whispered

"You knew what?" Merlin croaked

"That you were special…that you could do _that_" she was smiling now "I was certain I'd seen you do it a couple of times in the village before you left, when you stopped that branch from hitting me when it fell. Do you remember?"

He was stunned "That was years ago, you were only 4 years old. Have you really known all this time and not said anything?"

She nodded "I didn't want to get you into trouble. I know you, Merlin, like one of my own brothers, if you were given magic it was for a reason?"

"I have to protect Arthur, make sure he stays safe as King"

She nodded again "don't worry, I won't tell a soul"

And so it was that Kate was let in on the secret too and seemed remarkably untroubled by it. She had even covered for Merlin on a number of occasions, when it was necessary for him to leave the castle before completing all of his duties. One morning in particular, when Merlin had been kept out for the whole night and most of the morning, Arthur had found himself woken by sudden bright sunlight and the sound of somebody humming.

"Merlin" he snarled "go away, it's too early"

Whoever it was completely ignored him but continued humming, he buried his head under his pillow in an attempt to go back to sleep. He couldn't ignore the humming though, it was soft and sounded more like a woman's voice than a man's, more than that though the tune was familiar but he couldn't place it. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to snap at whoever was so determined to interrupt his sleep. But it was Kate who was looking at him, apparently struggling not to giggle.

When he realised it was her, he jumped back, pulling his blankets right up to his chin to cover his bare chest. "You shouldn't be here" he stuttered "Where's Merlin?"

She couldn't help laughing "Don't be such a girl, I'm only here to bring you some breakfast" she grinned "He's not here because he's unwell; I said I'd help him out today"

"once again he demonstrates his general uselessness" Arthur scowled

"Obviously you're not a morning person" she turned to get his tray of breakfast but paused for a moment "do you ever think you're being a little harsh on him?"

Nobody had ever asked him that before and he honestly had no idea what the answer was.

"I mean" she continued carefully "It just seems that he's the first person you get angry with over anything but you don't really seem to know very much about him"

"I've been a little more tense recently" he conceded "but you have no idea what I have to cope with as King, everybody expects something from me and my every decision is scrutinized by everyone"

"But is that Merlin's fault?" she pressed, placing a tray of food on his lap. For a moment she hesitated and her cheeks took on a pink tinge "I'm sorry" she said suddenly "I shouldn't have said that, it's not my place"

He shook his head "you're right I suppose, do you think he'll be well enough for battle practice this afternoon"

"Perhaps" she said, heading for the door "but if he isn't, you have plenty of knights to take his place, don't you?"

He was too busy eating to answer quickly but when he did he said "You can sword fight can't you?"

She nodded "I'm a little out of practice though"

He grinned "Don't worry, we'll go easy on you"

She met his gaze, smiling just as mischievously "I wouldn't"

She was right. It took some effort to convince any knight to actually fight a woman who wasn't Morgana but eventually Sir Leon was persuaded. The others stood to watch. It had to be said, she wasn't too bad. Given that she was nearly a foot shorter than the man she was fighting she did extremely well and she certainly didn't hold back. What she lacked in strength she made up for in speed and agility, dodging every attack without appearing to break a sweat. By the time she was finally disarmed her opponent had a nasty cut on his arm and a broken nose. He strode back to the other knights who clapped him on the back and congratulated him and openly stared at Kate.

She smiled at them "that was fun" she bandaged up the bruised knuckles of her right hand and began to walk back towards them.

"You did very well" said Percival from a few feet away "but you couldn't have won against one of us" he was trying to get a rise out of her and she knew it. The next second though, a knife sailed past his right ear, missing it by only a hair's breadth and planted itself in a fence post behind him.

"Couldn't I?" she raised an eyebrow "I didn't have to miss"

"Where did you learn that?" asked Arthur, astounded

She shrugged and hopped up onto the fence "I don't really know, I assume I must have learned it from somebody but I have no idea who. I think I've always been able to do it. But I should probably head back inside, chores and things to do"

As she was in the kitchen that evening, just sitting down to eat some supper, she heard the door open and looked up to see Sir Percival stood in the doorway.

"I'm sorry" he mumbled "I didn't mean to upset you"

She shook her head "you didn't really" she moved nearer to the fire and began to eat "I just wanted you to know that I wasn't completely defenceless"

He nodded, sitting next to her "Did you really learn to fight like that from your brother?"

She nodded "why?"

"I've never known a woman who could fight better than most men, you should come and train with us sometime"

She grinned "maybe I will"

**A/N: I'm anticipating this being a fairly long story...so stay with me, and please please please review, it really helps me guage if I'm going in a direction you like or if I need to change anything. Anyway, hope you liked it :)**


	3. Chapter 3: 'Tis the Fairy

_Piling the sheaves in furrows airy,__  
><em>_Beneath the moon, the reaper weary__  
><em>_Listening whispers, ' 'Tis the fairy_

She continued to keep at least a little distance between herself and the rest of the castle. She only really spoke to Merlin about herself, to the others she always kept herself closed off. This completely mystified Arthur, he couldn't work out exactly what she might be hiding.

When Merlin woke him up with breakfast one morning he decided to try to subtly find out a little more. The problem was, he had never been very good at subtlety. He forced an interested and innocent expression onto his face and said

"So, I've never really asked, where are you actually from Merlin?"

Merlin nearly dropped the tray "Why on earth would you want to know that?"

Arthur shrugged "just wondering" he knew his voice didn't sound even slightly casual and Merlin could see right through it.

"Ealdor" Merlin said, standing at the foot of the bed and narrowing his eyes. Suddenly comprehension dawned "and so is Kate, what is it you want to know?"

Arthur dropped all pretence; obviously it was not going to work with Merlin "I'm just curious, she's been here for weeks and she's perfectly nice but we know virtually nothing about her"

Merlin frowned "why does it matter?"

"It matters because there have been so many people I've known my entire life that I thought I could trust, if they could have betrayed me how am I supposed to trust a total stranger?" Arthur snapped

Merlin sighed "she doesn't like to let herself get too attached to people; it never seems to end well when she does. That's why she's determined to keep a distance from everyone here"

"What are you talking about?" Arthur looked suspicious

"Look, I don't know everything; I can only tell you what I actually know. Her parents died when she was ten years old, her brothers were eight, twelve, thirteen and fourteen. They tried their best to look after each other but they were barely more than children. James got himself apprenticed as a blacksmith and Harold signed up to be a soldier on his sixteenth birthday. Andrew was the only brother younger than her and she tried to play mother to him and all the others. It was like she felt that she had to make up for something. Her brother Peter disappeared not long after that didn't even leave a note. She says she still hears from James from time to time but she hears nothing from the others and I think she's resigned herself to the fact that she'll never see any of them again"

"Surely it can't be that difficult to track them down?"

Merlin rubbed his forehead, it was far too early in the morning for this much thinking "Arthur, poor families must go wherever there is work, if they can't find work for all of them together they have to split up or go hungry. They can't read or write so, when they say goodbye to each other it's normally for the last time"

They were both drawn from their thoughts by the faint sound of shouting from the castle courtyard.

* * *

><p>Kate made her way through the market, keeping her head down. The cook had sent her out to buy some food in the castle market; normally she relished the chance to be surrounded by so many people and to just be part of the general hustle and bustle of the market place. Today, though, the rain was slanting down into her face and the wind was biting. All the stall owners were huddled together under the covers of their tables but she still had only the dress she had arrived in. It had never been designed to provide warmth, the basket she was carrying was getting heavier and she was examining the last of the food when a furious voice interrupted her thoughts.<p>

A small boy had attempted to seize a soggy loaf of bread from the end of the stall and run away with it. He stood trembling before the baker who had caught him by the ear and was bellowing into the child's face, threatening him with prison.

A few yards away, Gwaine who had been talking with one of the market goers turned to see what the commotion was. He saw Kate take in the bare feet, ragged clothes and terrified, pinched little face and her cheeks flushed with anger. A few floors above in the castle, Arthur and Merlin watched her set her jaw determinedly and stride over to the pair. They exchanged alarmed glances, the baker was known for having a short temper and was not fussy about who got hurt when he was in a temper, left the window and through the castle and down the stairs to the courtyard.

"Hey!" Kate interrupted loudly, raising her chin in the air and staring defiantly back at the man towering over her "let him go!"

"You stay out of it" he snarled "he's a thief and he'll be punished" the child whimpered

"He's not a thief if he pays for the bread" her teeth were gritted

"This doesn't concern you, you nosy little sod, I'll decide how this brat's going to be punished"

"I don't think you will" her tone was eerily cool "I'll pay for his bread and you _will_ let him go and if you hurt a hair on his head, I'll break your jaw for you"

The man sneered and, making sure to keep eye contact with her brought his hand into sharp contact with the boy's face. The child stumbled and fell.

"You evil little shite" she gasped

He was sufficiently shocked at somebody daring to speak to him like that that he dropped the child's arm. She took the boy's hand gently, gave him back his bread and gave him a gentle nudge in the other direction. He sprinted away wide-eyed clutching the bread as though he had fought a dragon for it.

The baker glared at Kate "How dare you?" he snarled, raising a hand at her. Arthur and Merlin tore into the market at that very moment, Gwaine stepped forward, hand on the base of his sword.

Kate didn't answer; she merely stared at him coolly for a moment before sharply kneeing him in the crotch. He doubled over in breathless agony and she swung a fist into his face, Merlin winced as her heard the unmistakeable sound of a jawbone cracking.

She didn't even blink; she just picked up her basket of food and walked back to the castle head held high, past Arthur, Merlin and Gwaine granting them only a curt nod before she continued on her way.

"Bloody Hell" Gwaine breathed and the three of them stared after her wide eyed Arthur nodded vaguely. With her glittering amber eyes, flushed cheeks and firey curls framing her head in a halo, she looked for all the world like some kind of goddess of fire. Not beautiful exactly but breath-taking in a way that couldn't be put into words.

Crouched hiding underneath a table, the child devoured the barely chewed the bread before swallowing it and watched the retreating back. None of them knew that she was being watched intently by another pair of eyes, from a shadowy corner of the market.

A/N:And another chapter...reviews pleeeaaassee? x


	4. Chapter 4: A Curse is on her if she stay

**A/N: ok, I've been away for a while. Apologies for that. We'll blame it on techincal issues and too many end-of-term essays. Also possibly a teensy teensy bit of writer's block, which in fairness led to an idea for an entirely different Harry Potter Fic which I'm now working on alongside this one. Anyway...please review, it really helps to motivate me :)**

* * *

><p><em>No time hath she to sport and play:<em>  
><em>A charmed web she weaves alway.<em>  
><em>A curse is on her, if she stay<em>

Arthur found her in the kitchens later on; she was boiling water over the fire for the cook, her hair still dripping into her eyes, the heat making her damp skirts steam.

"Slightly calmer now?" he asked

She blushed and hung her head in apparent shame "I know I shouldn't have done it, I'm sorry. I just couldn't stand by and watch him bully that poor little boy and the next thing I knew, I hit him"

Arthur chuckled "I don't blame you" she looked startled "you're not the first person to hit him. He deserves it really, maybe next time don't do it quite so publicly"

She giggled "you don't need to worry about that, he has a really hard jaw" she showed him the knuckles of her left hand which were swollen and already beginning to bruise. He took her hand and examined it closely

"Gaius should be able to fix that" he said gently "but what I really came here to ask you is why you won't live in the castle properly. You are a ward of Camelot after all; wards don't normally work for the servants"

She moved to leave the room and nodded for him to follow, away from the several pairs of ears that had been very carefully listening. They stopped in a tiny side room, barely big enough to fit three people and shut the door. It had a window though, just large enough to keep some light in the room when he pulled the door closed behind them.

"I'm just having a little trouble accepting that any of this is real" she rubbed her forehead "I don't pretend my life was as awful as it could have been but I had resigned myself to being tied down into a marriage."

"I was talking to Merlin earlier" he began carefully, she froze

"Oh?"

"He said you like to keep a distance from people because you're scared they disappear somehow"

She nodded; he rested a friendly hand on her shoulder "you'll have a home here as long as this castle stands, I can promise you that. But I do need to know more about you, it's important to know I can trust someone before they settle properly in here"

Kate took a deep breath "My father was a blacksmith in our village, he was a good man, always thought that there must be some good in everyone. One night he fell asleep in his forge and it caught fire, he didn't survive it. Not long after that my mother was executed for performing magic and then it was just me and my brothers"

"What magic did she do?"

"None that I ever saw" her eyes were tearing up "but in those days the accusation alone was enough to execute somebody"

"I'm sorry about that"

"It's not your fault; you cannot regulate the actions of every person in this kingdom. About a year later my youngest brother died and when I turned 17 all my other brothers went to work I had to stay with my uncle. He took me in because he thought he could make money from my marriage, he's not the kind of man who gives up easily"

"You don't think he would still take you away?" Arthur was incredulous

Kate bit her lip and wiped away a stray tear "I wouldn't put anything past him"

He took one look at her forlorn face and enveloped her in a hug. She clung to him as though he were one of her far away brothers, the only things holding her to earth.

"I promise you that so long as you are here I will do everything I can to keep you safe, on the condition that you start living upstairs and dressing like a proper lady"

"But I'm a peasant by birth"

"So was the Lady Guinevere" the words were out of his mouth before he had really thought about it and he winced at the pain the name still caused.

"But that's different, you love her"

He frowned "please? I can hardly be helping you by making you work in the kitchens and not even paying you"

She heaved a dramatic sigh "Well, if it will make you happy"

He grinned and led her out of the room and down the corridor "It will. First of all though, we need to get you a new dress or something"

Deep in the forests of Camelot, Morgana was brooding. The door of her hovel opened and Agravaine stepped in.

"My lady" he simpered "they have moved her into your old room; she is to be treated like a proper lady now. Now may be the time to act before they can become too fond of her"

Her eyes were glazed as she stared into the middle distance "perhaps it is time that we arranged for Hector to pay a visit to the castle."


	5. Chapter 5: She weaveth steadily

_She knows not what the curse may be;__  
><em>_Therefore she weaveth steadily,__  
><em>_Therefore no other care hath she,_

"Will you still visit Gaius and me now you're all posh?" Merlin's eyes were twinkling with laughter as he perched on the end of the bed in her new room. Kate knew him though, and from Merlin that kind of joke always hid something he was really worried about.

"Of course I will" she said sincerely, standing on tiptoe to peer over the top of the screen she was currently attempting to change behind. "Besides, I'm not posh. I'm just quite lucky that someone is willing to look after me for a while"

"A while?" Sir Percival grinned from the doorway, "You're officially a guest of the court of Camelot. You're going nowhere any time soon, I half think Arthur has adopted you as a little sister"

"I can't believe how lucky I've been" she mumbled, evidently struggling to fasten up her new, far more complicated clothes "a couple of months ago I didn't have a future besides an arranged marriage. No matter how much I thank everyone it never feels like enough"

After a moment or so she emerged from behind the screens, looking very sweet in a pale blue dress, her hair brushed out and plaited down her back.

"Well don't you scrub up well?" teased Percival

She blushed "thank you, can you give me a hand? I can't reach the top ribbon at the back"

She pulled her hair over one shoulder and revealed the back of her dress; it laced up with blue ribbon and should have tied at the base of her neck. Percival stepped forward and tied it quickly, at that moment the door swung open and Arthur walked in.

"Oh" he said abruptly, taking in the scene in front of him "sorry, I didn't realise I was interrupting"

"What are you talking about?" Kate frowned, flipping her plait back over her shoulder

"Everything alright?" Merlin grinned from behind the door. The others turned to look at him Arthur's face immediately relaxed on realizing it wasn't just Kate and Percival in the room and the other two continued to look startled. This was the thing that had always frustrated Arthur, you always got the feeling that some kind of joke had been told that you hadn't understood yet but he knew was hilarious. As a servant he was completely incompetent and yet life with him was rather like being told a story when the person next to you had already worked out the ending.

"Yes" Arthur turned back to Kate "would you like to go for a ride?"

She was stunned "all by myself?"

"Arthur will go with you this time" explained Percival "just to make sure you know where you're going and then you can go with whoever you want"

"You've done this before, haven't you?" Arthur grinned as he gave her a hand to climb into the saddle.

"a couple of times" Kate nodded, "But I rode a really old carthorse, never anything like this" she eyed the thoroughbred horse. It was tall and obviously built for speed.

"Don't worry" he teased as they trotted slowly out of the castle gates "he'll take it easy on you"

They made their way across the fields in a companionable silence and eventually came to stop by a river so that the horses could drink. Leaving the horses for the moment they wandered away slightly, talking about nothing in particular. They reached a tree with a low branch and Kate pulled herself up onto in and then onto the one above.

"Where are you going?" he called

"Not far" she responded airily, "just a little further from the ground"

He followed her until they were both perched halfway up the tree, their feet dangling "why would you want to be further from the ground?"

"When I was little, I was scared of heights; I still am a little bit and my brothers used to climb trees all the time, just like the other children did. I could never do it because I was too scared of falling. Harold knew I hated not be able to do it so one day he told me that fear and worry hold you down, birds can fly because they're not afraid of falling. So if you're scared or worried, you just leave the ground behind and you'll leave your worries there too" she paused and stared at her shoes "it's silly I know, but it made sense somehow"

His brow furrowed "it's not silly at all; you do feel better in the air. It's like when I'm riding"

They lapsed into a thoughtful silence, "what is it that's bothering you then?" she asked suddenly

He was startled "nothing" he said quickly

She heaved a sigh "Arthur, I'm not stupid. You never smile, nothing makes you happy, you're famous for caring about the running of your kingdom but you only ever seem to be going through the motions. I won't tell anyone, cross my heart, what is it?"

"There's nothing wrong with me" He snapped indignantly, moving to jump down from their branch, her hand caught his. For a moment she said nothing, she just looked at him intently with her enormous eyes. They were so expressive, holding wisdom beyond her years and yet sparkling with youth, at the moment they were full of sympathy. Sympathy that he didn't feel he deserved.

"I'm not trying to push you" she said gently "but you should talk to someone; I'd like to see you really smile"

He nodded curtly and they both climbed down in sombre silence and began the ride home. Arthur didn't talk for the rest of the journey, he was brooding. He wasn't angry with her for questioning him, she hadn't meant any harm. But it had stirred up an awful lot of really unpleasant feelings which he had worked really hard to push away.

The thoughts stayed with him through dinner, well into the night. He couldn't sleep; he paced his room, muttering angrily to himself. He drank countless glasses of water, ordered snacks from the kitchens, read, wrote and generally tried to distract himself but it was no good. Finally, around 3 in the morning he snapped, letting out a frustrated snarl he stalked to Kate's room and hammered on her door.

A few yards down the corridor, pairs of unseen eyes were watching.

A/N: Ta-Da! another update. cake for everybody who's stayed with this story despite my horrifically long delays! Press the tiny little review button now please...let me know if you like where this story is going :)


	6. Chapter 6: A RedCross Knight

_A red-cross knight for ever kneel'd__  
><em>_To a lady in his shield,__  
><em>_That sparkled on the yellow field,_

Kate opened her door, bleary eyed and wrapped in so many shawls that she was almost completely spherical. She woke up quickly when she saw his face.

"It's Guinevere" he blurted out

Comprehension dawned immediately on her face. "you should come in" she whispered, ushering him onto a sofa by the fire and stoking the embers until crackling flames filled the hearth and warmth flooded the room, then she perched awkwardly next to him and waited patiently for him to talk.

"Have you ever been in love?" he asked suddenly

"I don't think so" she said slowly "what's it like?"

"I think it's different for everyone" Arthur ran his hands through his hair "but when Guinevere loved me it was easy. Everything seemed to sort of work out in a way, I could talk to her about whatever I wanted and she would never judge me but she could always put me back in my place"

"And she was beautiful?" asked Kate, hugging her knees tightly to her chest and resting her cheek on them.

He nodded and stared into the flames "One of the knights, Lancelot, came back. We were all sure he was dead, Gwen most of all. They were really good friends" He paused and swallowed "I caught them…I saw them…they were kissing" the sentence seemed to cause him physical pain. She said nothing, waiting for him to finish, he was sobbing now. "maybe I over reacted, I told them both to leave Camelot, said they'd be put to death if I saw them again, I was so angry"

"Which is understandable"

"But I did love her, I still do and I still wanted to marry her. Once I'd stopped being angry I tried to find them and…and…and" he tailed off, his breathing was strained with the effort but now he had started he had to keep going "they were married, she says she still loves me but she can't leave her husband for anything. The worst part is, if I hadn't been so jealous or resentful I could have had her. It's my fault that I'm alone"

"Ok, stop now" she said suddenly "self-pity isn't going to help anything. You reacted in the same way anyone else would, perhaps you should have come to the conclusion sooner that you still loved her but you can't change that now. You're not alone either, you're surrounded by people who love you so dearly that they would lay down their lives at a moment's notice to save yours, how many people can say the same?"

He looked at her wide-eyed "I was expecting sympathy"

"Would it make you feel any better if I patted your back and said 'there there'?"

"Probably not"

"Exactly, you've been handed a pretty rough deal and it hurts now, more than anything has ever hurt but it will get better, it's not like you don't have enough friends to help you. Just take it one day at a time, you never know, you may fall in love again." She giggled "she'll be tall, regal and probably blond. With a face like a flower and a voice like an angel, of course, she'll be musically talented, loved by all, passionate yet mild and animals and small children will worship at her feet."

"How do you sound so wise when you're so young?" he smiled weakly

"I'm not that young" she sighed, pulling him in for a hug.

"You're freezing" he jumped back, shocked

She blushed, pulling her shawls more tightly around herself; he pulled her into his lap and rubbed her arms to warm her up. It wasn't long before he realised she had fallen asleep, her exhausted head resting on his shoulder.

Kate vaguely registered being carried to her bed and blankets being tucked around her. At some point she heard somebody come in to stoke the fire. Her dreams were disjointed, at one point she was sure she was drowning, barely able to breathe, her uncle held her under the water, jeering at her as she fought to breathe. Then there was a blinding pain in her head and all her dreams were quiet. When she woke, completely disorientated, she felt paralysed and there was only a dull ache in her head.

The next morning, Arthur felt as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He nearly had a spring in his step, he was actually nice to Merlin and he went straight to work on the tasks of the day. Before he'd even had breakfast he'd been for a ride and drafted several important documents. By the time he was called for lunch he had had the most productive day in a long time, several of the knights stopped to ask him why he was suddenly so cheerful and he grinned at them but wouldn't answer.

"It's Kate, isn't it?" Merlin said suddenly, refilling Arthur's goblet at lunch time "She gave you one of her talks didn't she?"

Arthur was startled "How did you know?"

"She used to do it all the time with her brothers and me, whenever we needed cheering up"

"It was like telling somebody everything that made you unhappy, being punched in the face and then given a hug"

Merlin grinned "she was always good at that, is she having lunch in her room today?"

"How should I know, she's spent the day with you and Gaius hasn't she?"

"No" Merlin replied, brow furrowed "she was supposed to but she never appeared, I assumed she'd decided to go riding again with you."

At that moment Percival burst into the room looking completely panicked. "Kate's gone" he gasped, breathless from running "I went to see if she was alright because no one has seen her today and she's gone."

The other two exchanged a look and bolted out of the room, when they reached the corridor outside her room they could already see that something wasn't right. The door was swinging. The room itself was a mess, the bed sheet were halfway across the floor, one of the windows had been smashed, furniture was tipped over and on her pillow there was a large stain that looked suspiciously like blood.

Merlin felt sick "how long has she been gone?"

"Since at least this morning" replied Sir Percival, looking frantic "Arthur must have been the last person to see her, she could be anywhere by now"

Arthur looked around for a moment and then said "If it was Morgana or someone else who was out to get me they could have just taken me. The castle doors were shut so they must have gotten in earlier and then waited. If they'd have done that they would have had the perfect opportunity to get to me when I came to talk to her last night. It would have been very easy to make it look like an accident. So it would have to be somebody who wanted her specifically"

Some distance away Kate awoke with her hands and feet bound and a wound on the back of her head throbbing. Blood had run down the side of her face and was sticking her hair to her cheek. Her body was aching as though she had been dragged up several flights of stairs by her feet. She tried to wriggle free of her bindings but they would not give, she heard a derisive laugh from somewhere above her, she was yanked to her feet and found herself face to face with her Uncle Hector.

A/N: A quick update, I'm going to try another one in a few hours just to make up for my absence. Review!


	7. Chapter 7: Like Fire He Meets the Foe

_The next, like fire he meets the foe,_  
><em>And strikes him dead for thine and thee<em>

She couldn't remember a time in her life in which she had felt more terrified. She was completely defenceless, barely able to move there was no chance she could reach for any kind of weapon. And even if she could, where exactly was she going to get one? She was still in her night dress. The wind was bitterly cold and relentless and she tried to curl up into a ball to retain some heat but it was futile.

She was currently curled up on the floor of a filthy carriage which was hurtling through the woods at a speed that was making her teeth chatter. Every now and then she winced as she heard her uncle crack his whip over the horses again. Even she had no idea where she was so she hadn't the faintest clue how anybody would find her now. By her count she had been gone for at least three days, during which time she had eaten nothing, and drank only the occasional mouthful of water and had been forced to walk for what felt like miles. She could tell she was beginning to weaken.

The carriage jerked to a stop so suddenly that she was sent rolling into the opposing wall of the carriage which a smack. She could feel more bruises blossoming on her arms and legs. The door swung open and she was yanked to her feet, they had stopped outside a church in the middle of nowhere.

"I promised Isaac you would marry him and I will not let him down. He's offered me a lot of money for this. You will marry him." Hector hissed in Kate's ear

"I won't" she spat, her anger hiding the sheer panic that was beginning to engulf her "and you cannot make me"

"I can" he replied with a cruel little smirk, pressing a knife to her throat "you can marry him or you can die"

She swallowed carefully before looking straight at him, jaw set "Go on then, I dare you. I'd rather die than marry that miserable swine"

His expression did not falter "the thing is" he continued, his voice eerily calm "You're not the only one at risk. The enchantress Morgana is watching your precious knights and the King while they try and find you. If she doesn't get word that you are married before sun down…well, it would be very easy to drown them all and make it look like an accident wouldn't it?"

She froze "I don't believe you"

"You can choose not to" he said, glancing at the sun which was sinking fast in the sky "but do you really want to take that risk?"

Her shoulders slumped, she was sure he was making the whole thing up. But if he wasn't, could she bear to put the others at risk?

"I thought not" he grinned, grabbing her elbow again and forcing her through the doors. Isaac was stood at the top of the church, surrounded by 5 or so large men, all of whom had been paid to prevent her escaping for a second time. She shuddered as she noticed the unpleasant glint in his eyes.

She wept bitterly through the whole ceremony, brief as it was. When it was her turn to say 'I do' the words got stuck in her throat and she found that she couldn't speak. After several attempts and a thump from her husband-to-be which she was sure made her brain rattle, she finally said it. Isaac threw a bag of coins to Hector and began to drag her back down the aisle with a grip on her arm that was almost bruising.

About halfway she stumbled on the hem of her night dress and tumbled to the floor. She heard a deafening crash as the doors flew open and rebounded off the walls. She struggled to pull herself up enough to see what had happened, Arthur and the Knights stood in the doorway looking furious. They took one look at the men in the church and raised their swords.

"This is a church" Hector said loudly "it is against the law to commit acts of violence within these walls"

"I don't mind" growled Lord Percival, seizing the collar of one of the men and dragging him outside, "I'm flexible" he then proceeded to beat the man to a bloody mess.

Merlin suddenly appeared next to Kate with a pen knife, which he used to saw through the ropes on her wrists. As soon as she was free she flung her arms around his neck.

"Are you alright?" he said quietly

She nodded "I got married" she moaned pulling her back.

He glanced towards the doors in time to see one of the knights run a sword clean through Isaac. He pointed it out to her "congratulations on just becoming a widow"

There was a clatter near her ear and she looked up to see that a few yards away Arthur was being advanced on by one of the last thugs who had apparently just snatched his sword and thrown it away. She seized Merlin's pen knife and, struggling to her feet she threw it so that it planted itself squarely between his shoulder blades.

"Thanks" Arthur grinned at her; she nodded faintly back, sinking tiredly to the floor. Sir Percival picked her up gently and carried her outside towards a much cleaner and more comfortable looking carriage.

Hector was left cowering in the corner. As she was carried out, Kate glanced back just in time to see Arthur grabbing her uncle by the neck and slamming him into a wall.

"Now listen" he growled into the terrified man's ear "I was prepared to be nice and let you go the first time but now you're guilty of kidnapping which is a capital offence. You'll come back to Camelot with us and you'll hang. I'm only sorry I couldn't kill you myself" He let go and turned to walk away but then seemed to think better of it "and if you so much as think of touching her or any of my friends again you will wish you'd never been born"

A/N: ok this one's a little short but they are getting longer I promise, I've just finished writing chapter 14. Review please!


	8. Chapter 8: In Her eyes

_And all that's best of dark and bright_  
><em>Meet in her aspect and her eyes:<em>  
><em>Thus mellowed to that tender light<em>  
><em>Which Heaven to gaudy day denies.<em>

It took a couple of days before Kate was back to her ordinary self. During that time Merlin was always running to see her with different medicines made by Gaius and the knights watched her tirelessly, as though she might fall apart the second they blinked.

Arthur insisted on the fire in her room blazing at all times, made sure that there was always a table of food in her room and despite her protests that she was fine and her demonstrations that she really was ok. Percival kept her company when all the others were busy because he made her laugh. Nobody was really sure whether he set out to make her laugh or whether it was her total inability to take him seriously but it didn't seem to matter.

When Arthur came to visit one evening he found the two of them talking very quietly, as though there was some sort of secret they weren't sharing with the rest of the world. Every now and then she would giggle and he would blush uncomfortably, Arthur felt as though he was intruding on something important so he cleared his throat pointedly. They both jumped, he could have sworn Lord Percival was blushing; her cheeks had dimpled as she tried desperately not to laugh.

"There's someone to see you" he said quietly. She obviously sensed that he felt in some way excluded and when she stepped into the hallway she made a point of looping her arm through his as they walked.

"Who is it?" she asked quietly as they descended a set of stairs

He refused to give her any clues, he just opened a door and steered her inside. There was a young man stood in chain mail, staring out of the window. His hair was sandy brown, his eyes large and amber.

Kate stumbled as she took in the sight before her; Arthur caught her arm and steadied her.

"Harold?" she gasped, recognising her older brother and flinging herself into a fierce hug with her big brother.

Arthur felt it only right to give them some time together without any interference so he ducked out of the door to find himself face to face with Merlin who was smirking knowingly.

"How long did it take you to track him down?" he asked

Arthur shrugged "a while"

"I bet it did. That's an extraordinary amount of effort to go to just to arrange a visit"

"Shut up Merlin" Arthur stalked off, frowning

Kate came and found him later when he was sat at his desk writing. "Thank you" she said quietly.

He jumped "I didn't hear you come in"

"I didn't mean to startle you" she said quickly "I just…thank you so much" she hugged him tightly and he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"I wanted you to be able to see your brother again, at least the one I could find. I thought this might make up for the last couple of days a bit" she looked puzzled "I promised I would look after you and you were taken from right under my nose"

She stepped back, frowning at him. "Could you have stopped it?" she said sharply

"Well..." he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly

"Did you know it was going to happen?" she demanded, staring him down

"No"

"Alright, given the fact that you didn't know it was going to happen, how could you have stopped it?"

"Well, I couldn't"

"And you found me eventually didn't you?"

Arthur nodded

"Exactly" she said triumphantly, then her expression softened "you can't carry the weight of the world, Arthur, it'll crush you. You can't save everyone"

"A great King protects the whole kingdom at all times"

"Nobody can do that" her voice was gentle now; she squeezed his hand to make him look her in the eye "you're only human Arthur. A good king protects his kingdom; a great king protects his people whatever the personal cost and cares when he can't. You are a great king Arthur."

"How did you get to be so wise?" he asked, staring straight into her eyes and shivering slightly. She was looking at him so intently that he suddenly felt very exposed. As if she could read him like a proverbial book.

She didn't answer though, just excused herself and left for bed. After a few minutes, during which Arthur gazed into space, there was another knock at the door and Harold poked his head round the door "do you have a moment?" he asked nervously

Arthur nodded "come in"

"I was about to leave, but I just wanted to thank you for looking after her" His voice was barely more than a mumble but his face was sincere "we've all been trying to save up the money to send for her but there never seems to be enough."

"You'd always be travelling anyway" said Arthur firmly "and she's a friend, we like having her here"

"Well that's good" the other man replied shuffling his feet nervously "It's just, there's something you should know about her. She's terrified of Hector"

"I know"

"N-no I don't think you quite do. Our father didn't get on with Hector at all, they were brothers but they fought like cat and dog. One evening an argument of theirs got a little more heated than usual and it ended in a fight, our father fell and hit his head. It killed him and, to throw suspicion away from himself Hector burned the forge down. Our mother gradually worked out what had happened and Hector accused her of killing her own husband through witchcraft."

Arthur swallowed "Does Katherine remember any of this?"

Harold nodded tightly "she was going to call dad in for tea and saw the whole thing, the place was on fire before she could get there. She tries to forget what she saw but every now and then she has nightmares about it all. She told me you've got Hector in the dungeons"

Arthur nodded "he's due to be executed tomorrow afternoon" a dark look crossed his face as he processed all that he had just heard "no reason we can't bring that forward though"

At that moment Sir Leon burst into the room "He says Morgana got him into the castle" he gasped.

**duh duh duuuhhh**


	9. Chapter 9: Over the river running near

_She lives with little joy or fear.__  
><em>_Over the water, running near,_

Security was increased at the castle and it was advised that the residents of Camelot stay in after dark and, as far as possible life went on as ever it had. Sir Percival was appointed as Kate's personal bodyguard, a role he enjoyed immensely as it gave him every opportunity to wind her up. This was quite a sight to behold. It took a lot to make her angry but on the odd occasion that he succeeded he used to sit back in awe as her face flushed and her eyes flashed dangerously and she answered him with a cutting remark that was so sharp it almost physically hurt. Then they would both start laughing, she would call him and idiot and they would continue as though nothing had happened.

A week or so after her brother's visit, Kate was sat at dinner with the knights and the prince; she couldn't help noticing that the table was quieter than was really normal. Arthur barely spoke and played with his food rather than eating it. Eventually the silence was too much for her; she put down her cutlery and turned to the nearest knight

"What's happened?" she whispered to Sir Elyan

He glanced at Arthur and said, as quietly as possible "Arthur has been advised to marry, Camelot is strong but Morgana is a huge threat and we need all the support we can get. A marriage treaty with another kingdom would strengthen Camelot. There will be a ball in a fortnight and he will have to invite as many ladies from as many different places as possible in the hope of an alliance with one of them"

"Oh" she replied quietly, staring at her plate and biting her lip "but what about Guinevere?"

He shook his head "Gwen made her choice and she must stand by it. It's unfortunate that this has happened but there's not much of an alternative."

She was silent for some time, staring into space. The others carried on eating around her, albeit in a rather subdued manner. Arthur said as little as possible and did not look up from his plate, Kate watched him for a minute or two wondering how he wasn't more panicked at the idea of marrying a stranger. Although, she realised with a sigh, the kingdom would soon be swarming with beautiful and rich princesses who would be throwing themselves at him at the first glimpse of his handsome face. Men had faced worse situations. Suddenly there was a loud scraping noise and she almost leaped to her feet.

"Excuse me" she said hurriedly, without making eye contact with anyone and left the room.

She went for a walk around the battlements of the castle. The night air was cold but it gave her time to think. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself against the breeze.

It didn't seem fair. She was accustomed to the thought that life was often not fair; it came with a life spent as a pauper. This was by no means a new thought to her and yet it hurt. It wasn't right that somebody who was willing to give up so much at the drop of a hat for his kingdom was never given any thanks for it. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the shadowy figure leant against the wall until it stepped into her path.

"Horrible isn't it?" said Morgana in her ear

"What?" Kate jumped

"Just as you were beginning to let yourself care about him, he turns around and announces that he's going to get married. You must be furious"

Kate's brow furrowed "why would I be furious? He's the one who will have to marry a stranger"

Morgana's derisive laugh cut through the night "do you really think his new wife will want Arthur's pet hanging around the castle once they're married. Of course not! You'll be out of the castle before you can blink"

"I don't care about living in the castle, I can be happy living anywhere as long as I have friends"

"You won't have any though will you? They're ever so forgetful, those knights, you'll be cast out and for them it will be like you never even existed" Kate was blinking rapidly to prevent the tears from welling in her eyes "That's where I come in. You could be my friend. I won't forget you and we could live in the castle, just like you do now. I can make everything better but you have to help me"

Kate's expression turned stony "I don't think so" she replied coldly "you would kill me and all my friends if you had the chance. Does it hurt to be so bitterly angry all the time? Does it hurt knowing that this entire castle has been reinforced with the aim of keeping _you_ out? Does it hurt to know that everyone you used to care about would kill you now to protect Uther's son?" her voice was rising and both the fury of both women was building to a pitch as they stared each other down "You're a bitter, empty, pathetic human being and as for the thought of helping you, _I'd die first_"

"Not a problem" Morgana hissed her eyes glowing. But there was a crackling noise and nothing happened. She tried again and again, but nothing continued to happen. Finally with a shriek of fury that made Kate shudder, she disappeared.

"You did well" said a voice from behind Kate, Merlin was grinning.

"Thank you for stopping her" she hugged him tightly

"No problem" he grinned "but now we have to go and tell Arthur that she managed to get in, if she can get past these defences there must be somebody inside the castle helping her."

She nodded and they began to descend the stairs back to the main castle. "Just so you know" Merlin said suddenly "even if you were abandoned by all the others. Gaius and I will always be friends to you" she nodded and smiled gratefully at him and he continued "they wouldn't do it though, and they certainly wouldn't forget you. Would could forget the girl who threw a knife at Sir Percival?"

A/N: last one until the 12th at the earliest I'm afraid...I'm off to sunny Italy for a week. But thanks for reading, review if you get a moment :)


	10. Chapter 10: Days in Goodness Spent

_The smiles that win, the tints that glow,__  
><em>_But tell of days in goodness spent,__  
><em>_A mind at peace with all below,__  
><em>_A __heart__ whose love is innocent!_

The stress was beginning to show on Arthur's face, he had nearly had a fit when he was told about the fact that his castle contained a traitor. It was easy to see he hadn't slept well for the last couple of nights, his eyes were puffy and he couldn't seem to think straight. He wasn't eating much either, Merlin was worried.

He came down into the kitchen with another tray of barely touched supper to find Kate and Gaius talking quietly.

"He's still not eating anything" he sighed

"It's the stress" Kate frowned, sitting at a table with her head in her hands "maybe he could go on a hunt or something to make himself feel better?"

Gaius shook his head "He can't venture too far from the castle without taking the knights with him and too many of them are guarding the castle and hunting for Morgana"

"Nothing I say makes him any happier" Merlin slumped into a seat "He just thinks it's a matter of time now. Morgana's been gathering allies for some time and it won't be long before they storm the castle, maybe eight weeks at the most he thinks. That's the reason for this ball thing"

"Eight weeks?" Kate gasped but her shock was momentary before her expression set itself "well, that should be about enough time to get ready, Gaius, how long would the food and water supply last the castle if we were trapped in?"

"Perhaps a week"

She nodded again and left, deep in thought. It didn't take her long to reach Arthur's room, Merlin had been right; he was pale and anxious and couldn't seem to stop pacing.

"Everything alright?" she asked quietly

He threw a glare in her direction "There's a traitor amongst my friends, of course I'm not alright"

She threw her hands up in surrender "I could tell you it wasn't me but would you believe me?"

He didn't answer

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Talk about anything but Morgana and the castle" his teeth were gritted

She looked startled "Oh, alright." She bit her lip trying to find something to say "I was sent a flower this morning"

Now he looked startled "who by?" his tone was incredulous

She stumbled a moment, her cheeks reddened indignantly "Is it that surprising that somebody might admire me?" she asked "I know I'm no Guinevere or anything but I'm not completely hideous" it was obvious he had touched a nerve.

"Sorry" he said tersely "I didn't mean that"

"Good" she replied shortly "obviously this whole thing is getting to us far more than it really should. Come for a short ride and put all of it out of your mind for a few minutes"

"I don't think I can"

"We'll see about that" she smiled gently and led him to the stables.

Neither of them spoke, they just rode as quickly as possible until they reached the woods where they finally slowed down.

"What's really worrying you?" she asked as they trotted gently along beside the banks of a small stream.

He took a moment to answer, studying her face closely. With her soft pale skin, rosy cheeks and long flowing curls she was the picture of unblemished innocence, but her eyes…the eyes that never failed to confuse him. They were so clear and peaceful, as though nothing was even slightly wrong.

"I'm worried" he began slowly "that Morgana will attack and I won't be able to fight her off"

"It's a good job you won't be fighting her alone then isn't it?" she said simply as the horses came to a halt.

He growled in frustration "It's my job to protect my kingdom, nobody else's!"

"And which King ever defeated an army alone?" she replied, equally loudly "Everything will be ok, you'll beat her"

"It's not me I'm worried about" he all but shouted "If something happens to me Camelot will find another King but what if Camelot's destroyed? What if the knights are killed? Or Merlin? Or _you_?" He took a deep calming breath "I promised you I would look after you and already you've been kidnapped and could have been killed…if something happens to you, to any of you when she attacks…I" He broke off and stared at his hand. Kate's much smaller hand was clasping it tightly

"I won't pretend that there's a chance that couldn't happen" she whispered "but you can't save everyone. There's not one person who wouldn't fight for you who doesn't know exactly what they're doing. We're all more than capable of defending ourselves so stop carrying all of us round on your shoulders" she suddenly fell silent, realising her hand was still resting in his. She blushed furiously and pulled it way, biting her lip before she continued "and if you don't stop blaming yourself for that stupid accident, I'll attack you myself"

He couldn't say that his worries had exactly disappeared, the thought of anything happening to Kate or any of the others made his chest tighten. But his worries felt a little lighter as they turned and began the ride back to the castle. She said nothing more to him, perhaps a little embarrassed; she kept her eyes focused straight ahead of her.

Sir Percival met them at the castle gates and helped her down from her horse, saying that Merlin needed her help in the kitchens. She excused herself quickly and left without a backwards glance.

"Everything alright?" asked Percival, watching her retreating figure until she rounded a corner

"Not quite" Arthur frowned, dismounting and leading both horses to the stable block "but I think it could be"

A/N: Back again finally! It's not a very long one I'm afraid but I'm not good at reaalllyyy long chapters and I promise another update asap. Anyway, after an amazing holiday in Italy I have an update for you...enjoy! x


	11. Chapter 11: like a sweet flower

_I ne'er was struck before that hour __  
><em>_With love so sudden and so sweet, __  
><em>_Her face it bloomed like a sweet flower __  
><em>_And stole my __heart__ away complete._

As preparations for the ball got underway and the guards around the castle doubled in number yet again Arthur was kept fairly busy. He only saw Kate once, a few days beforehand. She was in the armoury with one of the servants, practising sword fighting, it took her a couple of minutes to notice he was even there.

"You've improved a lot" he said as he watched her disarm the other man for the third time

She blushed when she realised he was watching "Good. What are you doing down here?" she came over to talk to him "Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for your ball"

"I could ask you the same question" he teased

She looked startled "But I'm not going"

"Why not?"

"Well I'm not nobility am I? Besides, I don't know how to dance" she was blushing

"You can consider this your official invite, I don't care whether you're nobility or not, I'd like you to be there" He left, leaving her in a state of panic.

She found Sir Gwaine out in the stables, just returning from a ride. "Can you teach me how to dance?" she blurted out

He raised his eyebrows "For any particular reason?"

"Apparently I'm supposed to be going to the ball in a few days and I only found out a few minutes ago"

He eyed her for a moment "I can't dance either" he admitted "but Percival will be able to teach you, he'd probably be glad of the practice actually" he had barely time to finish his sentence before she had hugged him gratefully and flown back out of the door again, her long hair whipping round the corner behind her.

"Didn't you ever learn?" asked Sir Percival incredulously

She rolled her eyes and huffed "No. Funnily enough, between learning how to cook, clean and herd cattle, dancing sort of passed me by."

"Alright, alright" he raised his eyebrows and hands in surrender

She took a deep breath "sorry. It's just I really didn't think I was invited to the ball and I only just found out I am and I have precisely 3 days to learn how to dance and find something to wear. I really don't want to look like a fool in amongst all those rich ladies"

He grinned at her, "who are you trying to impress?" he teased

She raised her chin defiantly despite the fact that she had blushed scarlet "no one" she said in a tone that clearly meant she wasn't going to argue with him.

Even so, he couldn't resist a knowing smirk in her direction that forced her blush all the way up to the roots of her hair. "Alright I'll teach you, we'll start after dinner tonight"

She threw him a grateful smile and dashed back up to the castle to find Merlin. She burst into Gaius' room to find Merlin attempting to make some kind of potion, the shock of her flinging the door open almost made him drop it.

"What on earth's happened?" he said, worried

"Apparently" she gasped, out of breath from all the unaccustomed running "I've been invited to the ball this week"

He eyed her carefully "surely you knew that?"

"How did everyone know I was going before I did?" she exploded, glaring at the grin that was creeping across his face

"Kate, even I'm going of course you're invited"

She heaved a sigh "alright, so maybe I've been a little bit stupid. Where am I supposed to get a dress?"

He looked confused "A dressmaker I suppose. I don't have much practice in sourcing dresses"

"Can't you just sort of magic one up?" she sounded desperate

"Of course, Madam, let me just consult my trusty dress-making spell book" his voice was laced with sarcasm "somehow I don't think magic is supposed to be used for embroidery"

She stuck her tongue out at him "alright, I'll find a dress maker."

It didn't take her long to find one, apparently there was one employed at the castle. Kate couldn't fathom the reasoning behind this since she was the only woman in the castle who wasn't a maid and the maids wouldn't accept dresses from a dressmaker, preferring to make their own. The dress maker was an old lady by the name of Hester Matthews, tiny and frail looking, she barely came up to Kate's shoulder but the delight on her face when she was asked to make a ball gown was beyond measure. She flitted around the room, taking rough measurements and discussing colours and patterns with Kate who was just relieved to talk to someone who seemed to know what they were doing.

After supper she had her first dancing lesson with Lord Percival, during which she mainly learned that dancing was not her forte. Much of the lesson was spent with Kate apologising profusely for treading on his toes but at the very least she managed to pick up a few basic steps.

"There you are" Percival grinned "by the time the ball come you might even make it the whole way through the evening without treading on anyone"

She swatted him good-naturedly on the arm "I'll be the best dancer there" she grinned "provided no one else dances for the whole evening"

He chuckled "you'll be fine, just make sure you practice a couple of times before the actual dance." He paused as somebody passed by the door of the room they were stood in "men will be tearing your arms off for the chance to dance with you"

She gave a very unladylike snort "I highly doubt that" she began practicing steps in the slanting rectangle of golden light made on the floor by the sunset shining through the window.

"Why?" Percival just looked confused

She kept her eyes carefully on her feet "you really think that in a room full of beautiful, rich and accomplished princesses and ladies, I'm going to be of any interest to anyone?"

"That's exactly why you're of interest" he said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world "you'll be completely different to all the other ladies. How many princesses, for all their accomplishments, can hold their own in conversation with a man, speak their minds and have a punch like a bag of nails?"

She stood still for a moment "and someone is going to notice me because I can't keep my mouth shut?"

He nodded "I can think of at least one person who would" the mischievous smile was back on his face and it was her turn to look confused.

Footsteps passed by the door again and she shook her head "I don't know what you're talking about" she said, and left.

The remaining days before the ball passed in a whirlwind of dancing practice and dress fittings. Kate fell into bed each night utterly exhausted. She hadn't spoken to Arthur in a while; every time she saw him he wore a funny sort of frown and avoided speaking to her. Fortunately there wasn't much time for her to worry about it.

On the evening of the ball she had agreed to meet Merlin in the kitchens before heading down to the great hall, mainly due to a fear on her part of entering by herself and being stared at.

Arthur stood in the Great Hall feeling exceedingly uncomfortable, as he always did at these occasions. The knights by contrast were completely comfortable surreptitiously watching all the beautiful young women milling around the room, Kate had not yet arrived though. It wasn't like he needed her there. Of course he didn't. It wasn't like he had any claim on her, but everything did feel just a little bit better when she was.

He pretended to listen to whatever the Lady Juliet was saying to him about how 'wonderful' the castle was and nodded politely in all the best places. He was so busy pretending to pay attention that it took a moment to notice that she had stopped talking and was instead staring in the direction of the main stairs. For the briefest of moments time stopped. Merlin was stood halfway down the stairs, grinning back at the woman who had followed him. It took a moment for Arthur to realise it was Kate.

He couldn't find the word to describe exactly how she looked. Kate seemed to be glowing, her beautiful fiery hair had been wound up and silver ribbons and pearls had been wound in amongst the curls. Her dress was of the palest azure blue, with tiny silver stars sewn into the fabric. The sleeves were bell shaped and made of silver muslin; her shoulders were completely exposed, the neckline just brushing the edges of them. In short she glowed and, without any obvious effort outshone every other woman in the room.

It took him some time to realise he had forgotten how to breathe and that his mouth was completely dry. Lady Juliet was looking very disgruntled as she realised he wasn't even bothering to nod anymore.

A/N: Back again! finally. I'm currently typing up chapter 20...it's taking me quite some time but I'll put the next chapter up asap, anyway...reviews please x


	12. Chapter 12: She is grown so dear

_And she is grown so dear, so dear,__  
><em>_That I would be the jewel__  
><em>_That trembles in her ear:__  
><em>_For hid in ringlets day and night,__  
><em>_I'd touch her __neck__ so warm and white._

Kate almost tripped down the stairs. She was so nervous and she had banked on being able to slip into the hall unnoticed so when everyone stopped to look at her she was a little nonplussed. Merlin caught her hand and steadied her before she could lose her footing and led her down the stairs. Sir Percival and Sir Gwaine were waiting at the bottom.

"Why is everyone staring?" she whispered uncomfortably

"Because you look lovely" said Gwaine quietly, she blushed and ducked her head. The two knights led her through the room, introducing her to the other ladies and lords around the room. You could almost see her fighting the shyness that was brought on by the unexpected attention she was receiving. Thankfully, the dancing started quickly and she was able to slip back into the background.

She watched the whirl of beautiful dresses as couple after couple swept past her. It really was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. So entranced was she by all the vivid colours swaying round the room that she didn't notice Arthur making his way over, leaving behind a fairly disgruntled looking blonde woman. When she finally noticed him he was only a couple of feet away and she was so startled that, for the first time since they had met, she had no idea what to say to him. He seemed to be facing the same problem and there was an awkward silence while they both tried to find something to say.

For the first time in his life Arthur was unsure of what to say, she broke the silence. "The castle looks wonderful" she blushed, knowing it sounded silly

He nodded awkwardly "you're beautiful" he burst out and then blushed as she turned to him amazed "I-I mean you look beautiful"

"Thank you" her cheeks dimpled as she smiled gently "you look very handsome yourself, have you chosen a lady yet to dance with?"

He glanced around the room "Not yet, they all sort of look the same"

She gaped "are you joking? You're stood in a room full of some of the most beautiful I've ever seen and you don't want to dance with any of them?"

"Well that's not quite true" he said quietly, taking the opportunity, while she was distracted. Her eyes sparkled as she took in the sight before her and he decided to bite the bullet so to speak "Listen, I'm aware I've rather a lot of competition" he glanced across the room at the rather large crowd of knights and lords who were trying to pretend not to look at her "but can you save me a dance?"

"Of course, you're my best friend" she said nodding "you don't even need to ask"

Shortly after this he was sort of obliged to dance with a few of the ladies or risk being seen as rude. Lady Juliet did get her dance with him and giggled the whole way through it. He let his mind wander as he occasionally caught glimpses of her auburn curls or one of the sleeves of her dress. Every now and then he heard her tinkling laugh or the murmur of her voice as she danced with yet another man. At one point she whirled past him in the arms of Sir Percival, giggling at something he had said and Arthur's mind drifted back to the conversation he had overheard only a couple of days before.

_He was strolling down one of the corridors on the way to the armoury for a little late-night practice after dinner. He had just finished triple checking the castle security and wasn't really paying attention to anything much as he strolled past a slightly ajar door and heard a familiar voice_

"_I'll be the best dancer there… provided no one else dances for the whole evening" It was Kate's voice, he wondered vaguely who she was talking to_

_A man chuckled from inside the room "you'll be fine, just make sure you practice a couple of times before the actual dance." It was Percival's voice, Arthur couldn't say why but the strange idea of the two of them talking alone made him stop in his tracks just beyond the door "men will be tearing your arms off for the chance to dance with you" Arthur suddenly had the feeling that he was listening in on something very private._

_Kate snorted "I highly doubt that" through the crack in the door hinges he could see her dancing in the golden sunlight._

"_Why?"_

"_You really think that in a room full of beautiful, rich and accomplished princesses and ladies, I'm going to be of any interest to anyone?"_

"_That's exactly why you're of interest" Percival said "you'll be completely different to all the other ladies. How many princesses, for all their accomplishments, can hold their own in conversation with a man, speak their minds and have a punch like a bag of nails?"_

"_And someone is going to notice me because I can't keep my mouth shut?"_

_He laughed and nodded "I can think of at least one person who would" outside Arthur decided to leave, feeling he had probably been nosey enough. _

He had been surprised at first, he was sure Percival was too immature for Kate and she was neither tall enough nor demure enough to fit in with the women he normally liked. On the other hand Arthur couldn't see how else the conversation he had overheard could be interpreted and as he watched them whirling around the floor together he supposed they might suit each other. They had always practiced fighting together, they were always verbally sparring and he had been furious when she had been taken. Perhaps they were meant to be together and he should give them his blessing.

Yet it hurt, the thought was almost physically painful and he couldn't put his finger on the emotion it caused. It was something akin to betrayal although he couldn't fathom why. Kate was a dear friend but could not be anything more, ever. The love of his life would always be Guinevere; there was no doubt about that. Surely they deserved to be happy? He sighed. All this soul-searching was beginning to give him a headache.

A/N: So here it is! I've done another one. The only question is should Arthur and Kate share a dance? it's up to you...review or message me and let me know x


	13. Chapter 13: I told thee not

_I loved thee, though I told thee not,__  
><em>_Right earlily and long,__  
><em>_Thou wert my joy in every spot,__  
><em>_My theme in every __song__._

There were more ladies waiting to dance with him than Arthur had really banked on and the only dance that he actually managed to keep free was the only time he couldn't see her anywhere. For a moment he stood nonplussed until he spotted her dancing with Merlin, they were talking intently, heads close together like children sharing a secret. Every now and then she glanced at a sweet-faced little maid who was serving drinks to the guest and then Kate would look back to Merlin who was clearly embarrassed and flash him a mischievous smile.

They were too absorbed in their little secret to notice anyone else and he realised that he could not have this dance. She was not his, he should have realised before, he thought as he noted several pairs of eyes following her progress around the room that she would be sought after. It irritated him to no end though that barely any of the men drooling over her would willingly marry her, treat her as she deserved. They'd pay good money to have her for a mistress but she could never be more than that to them because she was not noble. He snorted at the term 'noble' Kate was the only one in the room apart from Merlin and the servants who was not titled and yet she was more dignified and courageous than most of the rest.

It was while he was lost in this little reverie that the Lady Juliet appeared next to him again, he politely invited her to this dance. Glancing at Merlin and Kate again he realised that his expression had become far more serious and her face was unreadable. As though shutters had come down behind her eyes her face was utterly blank.

It was at this ball that he was supposed to choose a future wife, to strengthen Camelot's defences and guarantee reinforcements. The ladies in the room had yet to make a solid impression on him. None of them were capable of holding a decent conversation, they were all pretty enough but somehow that wasn't important anymore. He considered the Lady Juliet, she didn't talk much either. She was beautiful, there was no denying that and she wasn't silly and giggly like the others.

As the dance came to its end, a servant announced that supper was ready and immediately the dance hall was cleared and everyone scrambled for food.

Kate couldn't resist teasing Merlin as they danced. She had noticed him glancing more than once at the Sophia, the pretty maid. He was getting steadily more embarrassed and she couldn't resist teasing him a little.

"She's very pretty" Kate whispered "You'd suit each other"

"Until she found out about me and then she wouldn't be able to run fast enough"

Her expression softened "It will be over soon. I can _feel_ it; you'll be able to be yourself without restraint. And no one's going to fear you anymore."

"So you're some kind of seer now?" he asked wryly

"You know what I mean. Besides, things will come to a head with Morgana soon enough and God alone knows what will happen, if we'll all-" she swallowed carefully "the point is, life is too short to keep worrying about these things, you should talk to her"

"I could say the same for you"

"I doubt it would mean the same to her coming from me" she smiled, deliberately misunderstanding him

"You know what I mean" his expression turned serious as he watched her face go blank "And don't tell me you don't; I've known you since you had no front teeth and a lisp, you can't lie to me"

"It's different" she whispered "I've known from the start I could never let myself fall in love with him because of who he is. He's titled and I'm a pauper no matter what fancy clothes I wear"

"Guinevere was a pauper; it didn't stop several members of the nobility falling in love with her and for all your talk you still love him"

"She was the exception…I'm the rule. I can promise you that much"

"What about all that stuff you just said about how things were going to change soon?"

"They will for you" she allowed him a faint smile "you'll finally be able to be what you are without threat. But whatever happens, no matter how this war ends, when it ends he will still be him and I will still be me and nothing will ever be able to change all of that. He will go on defending Camelot and I will probably marry a blacksmith or something. I never expected anything else. It's ok…_really_"

Merlin could have sworn that for the merest fraction of a second her huge eyes shimmered just a little bit too much but then it was gone. She composed herself and they danced on as though nothing had happened.

Arthur wandered through the Great Hall after all the guests had left, some were staying in the castle and had simply gone to bed, it was so late that the sun had nearly risen again. He had danced, drunk and eaten and then it had been time to attempt some form of negotiation with the nobles of the neighbouring kingdoms. He heaved a sigh and rubbed his head as he thought back to that meeting, sacrifices had to be made he supposed, still it hadn't been exactly fun.

Now he stood in the debris of the party with mess all over the floor and hoped to God it would be worth it. A faint noise made him jump and he glanced out of the balcony window to his right. A familiar blue dress caught his eye. Kate was stood with her back to him. Most of her curls had wriggled loose of the pins holding them up and the pearls and silver ribbon that had been woven into them now just tangled with them. She was watching the sun come up, tinging the roves of Camelot a deep scarlet, she jumped when she heard him step outside too.

"Did you have a good night?" he asked, shrugging off his cloak and draping it around her shoulders

"Hmm" she nodded "I wish it hadn't ended. I can't help feeling that a lot of unpleasant things have to follow something so good."

He wasn't sure how to respond to that because he'd been feeling the same, there was a storm coming and they both knew it. In the moment of silence, he leaned over the balcony and picked a yellow rose that was climbing up the wall near them and handed it to her. She smiled and tucked it behind her ear before staring back out at the town, they were both wondering how much longer it would be safe. For now though, he didn't want to dwell on it, better to make the most of whatever time there was left "I never got that dance you promised me"

She smiled slightly "no I suppose you didn't, that's the cost of having to dance with every woman in the room. I'm sure you'll have the chance another time"

"Well how about now?"

For a moment she was thoughtful, she wanted to question the sense of dancing when it was just the two of them alone, when there was no music and her feet were bare. But she didn't, she smiled and took his offered hand and allowed him to lead her back onto the dance floor.

"You're very quiet" he murmured as they swayed

"It's what comes of having too many things to say and not enough time to say them in"

They danced on in silence, neither quite sure what they should say, she was watching him closely, desperately trying to read his expression and he tried desperately to work out what she was thinking. After a moment or too he gave up and resigned himself to simply enjoying the moment, with her he never had to be someone else. It was like having a weight lifted off your shoulders and feeling wonderfully free.

She was chewing her lip as she wondered how to phrase what she wanted to say "I was talking to Merlin earlier, he thinks I should" she began and tailed off slightly as she realised they had stopped moving and that their faces were only inches apart. For a moment she was certain he was going to kiss her but the moment passed and he opened his mouth to say something.

A young knight appeared in the doorway and both took an involuntary step back, away from each other. The poor man looked embarrassed at having interrupted something and obviously felt it best to deliver the message he had been given as quickly as possible and leave "Sire" he said with a hasty bow "the Lady Juliet has accepted your proposal" he bowed again and left.

The silence that descended on the room could have been cut with a knife. Arthur couldn't hear her breathing; he glanced at her and saw that guarded expression on her face again. He waited for her to turn to face him but she stared resolutely at her own hands and bit her lip.

"It's late" she said finally, still avoiding his gaze "I'm going to go to bed" she turned on her heel and left. She got as far as the door before she turned and ran back towards him hugging him tightly "congratulations" she whispered "I'm really happy for you" and then she was gone again and this time she didn't turn back.

A/N: This chapter is specially for nycorrall who's stayed with the story from the beginning and been generally really encouraging so this is a little thank you for that. Hoping to have the next update up by the 20th x


	14. Chapter 14: Half sick of Shadows

_Or when the moon was overhead__  
><em>_Came two young __lovers__ lately wed;__  
><em>_`I am half sick of shadows,' said__  
><em>_The Lady of Shallot_

Arthur couldn't sleep. He stood in the middle of the ballroom for what felt like hours, watching the doorway she had disappeared through feeling truly hollow. Outside the castle the town slept, not a soul moved through the streets and even the birds were unusually quiet. The sun rose slowly, its light spreading reluctantly across the land like treacle. When the golden light slid through the windows of the great hall and fell onto the floor in stripes and the scarlet clouds on the horizon began creeping towards the castle, he still stood in the centre of the room frowning.

There were footsteps outside the hall but he barely registered them, he jumped when he noticed Merlin stood in the doorway watching him.

"Everything alright?" Merlin asked with an expression on his face that clearly said that he knew everything wasn't alright.

Arthur took a moment to answer. He had been so lost in thought for so long that coming back to the present was something akin to mentally wading through a bog. Something of this must have shown on his face because Merlin's worried look deepened, he had to say something.

"I don't know what to do" Arthur said slowly, each word seemed to be an effort. "It's the first time I've ever really been unsure of what I'm supposed to do"

"About Kate?"

Arthur looked up sharply "How did you know?"

Merlin rolled his eyes "Arthur, everybody in the castle knows." Arthur still looked startled so he pressed on "she's only been here for a few months and already she knows you better than any of us. She's one of the only people you trust completely. Plus you keep staring at her with your mouth open"

"It's because she doesn't look at me as a King, she looks at me the same way she looks at everyone else. I don't have to be anyone I don't want to be when I'm with her; it's like being completely free" for a second he was lost in thought

Merlin grinned impishly "so what's the problem?"

"Camelot" Arthur sighed "it needs as much protection as it can get from as many different areas as possible, the only way to guarantee that is through marriage"

"Does it have to be _your_ marriage? Wouldn't it work just as well if one of your knights was to marry one of those ladies?"

He hadn't thought of that "I suppose so, but the ladies all know that they were supposed to be here to arrange a marriage with me"

Merlin winced "does Kate know about this?" Arthur nodded and Merlin rolled his eyes "you know how much she cares for you don't you?" he asked suddenly "she thinks more highly of you than anybody else I know"

Arthur frowned again "there's a difference between thinking highly of someone and loving them though"

"The thing about Kate is that she's very good at hiding her feelings. I've known her since she was born and I don't know what she's thinking most of the time. She'll never knowingly expose herself to hurt so even if she's been madly in love with you since the moment she met you, you won't necessarily be able to tell. But you should know that I've never known her become friends with any one so quickly or trust them so completely and I've certainly never seen her anywhere near tears before"

Arthur groaned, the thought of her being so upset was a painful one in itself, even if he hadn't been the cause.

"This isn't going to be an easy decision to make; no one can make it for you." Merlin made to leave and paused as he reached the door "but you should know that things will come to a head with Morgana soon, everybody can feel it coming. None of us know how much time we've got left together, so make sure whatever decision you can take, that you can live with it"

Arthur was along again with his thoughts just as muddled as before and what felt like a very heavy weight resting on his shoulders. He would have to go for a ride that would clear his head. It occurred to him that his favourite person to go out riding with was Kate and that the absence of her while he was out riding was rather like setting out for a ride before realising you'd forgotten to take a saddle.

The decision he faced was not going to be easy, Merlin had been right about that. On the one hand was marriage with a virtual stranger. She was beautiful, there was no denying that and could guarantee safety for Camelot. He supposed there was a chance that their marriage could be a happy one but it would be something of gamble.

On the other hand was Kate, loyal, feisty, kind-hearted Kate. She was one of his dearest friends; he would have trusted her with his life. She might not have been conventionally beautiful but her beauty was in the tiny details, the flush of her cheek, the curl of her hair and her expressive eyes. If he married Lady Juliet going riding with Kate would be completely out of the question. As though someone had flicked a switch the realisation hit him that if he wasn't already in love with her, he was well on his way. After Guinevere he was sure he would never love anyone again but it seemed that, while he wasn't looking, Kate had crept into his heart and his head and filled every little space like sunlight. It didn't look like she was leaving any time soon either.

The tree he had come to a halt under, he noticed, was the one they had climbed together a couple of months ago, when she told him that by climbing he could leave whatever was bothering him on the ground.

A/N: Not sure about this chapter...it didn't quite come out the way I wanted it to :/ but the next one should be up soon x


	15. Chapter 15: She left the web

_She left the web, she left the loom__  
><em>_She made three paces thro' the room__  
><em>_She saw the water-flower bloom,_

She was careful not to look back as she left the room. She considered it a point of pride that she had never yet openly cried in front of any one, not when her parents died, not when her brothers left home, not even when she had fallen over as a child. It felt somehow weak to her, but more than that, admitting you were hurt was tantamount to displaying an open wound and hoping no one would rub salt into it.

Turning back now would allow Arthur to see the tears in her eyes; the effort of not allowing them to fall stung her eyes. Somewhere along the way to room she vaguely registered passing Merlin coming in the opposite direction, he looked at her concernedly and put a hand out to stop her

"What's happened?" he whispered, conscious of guests sleeping in nearby rooms.

She shook her head and swallowed hard "nothing, I'm just tired, it's so late" she forced a smile and prayed he wouldn't question her any further in case she gave way to tears. Thankfully he seemed to sense her reluctance to talk any longer and nodded

"You'll feel better after some sleep" he said gently, gripping her shoulder for a moment and left. She took a deep breath and carried on as quickly as she could to her room without pausing to acknowledge anyone else.

Kate didn't sleep that night. She tried to fall into bed in the hope of quickly dropping off. Her head wouldn't be quiet, her thoughts were so rapid and fleeting that she could almost hear them coming and going. Never had the huge room in which she slept seemed so small and suffocating. She must have worn a groove in the stone floor with her pacing and her hair was a knotted tangle by morning. She wanted to cry, the lump in her throat was so painful she was afraid she might suffocate but she wouldn't give in to tears because once started she was afraid they wouldn't stop.

At some point she must have registered that she had missed breakfast but it didn't really matter, she couldn't face food. She was furious, mainly with herself. So angry that just thoughts weren't enough anymore and she needed to talk, even if only to herself

"You're a fool" she spat suddenly, turning on her heel and resuming her pacing back and forth "you're a fool Katherine Hardy. You told yourself to keep a distance from all of them, you knew this would happen and you've gone and done it anyway. Why in the name of God would it be a good idea to fall in love with a king? Now he will marry his lady and you must watch and pretend to smile. You idiot!" she thumped the table with her fist and while trying not to curse, she glanced out of the window. The Lady Juliet dressed in exquisite pink and looking just like a flower was climbing into her carriage with the assistance of Arthur. She smiled shyly at him and he closed the door of her carriage for her before watching it disappear, the last in a long line of guest's carriages trundling away from the castle.

Up in her bedroom Kate made a weird, choked sound and turned quickly away to resume her pacing. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself" she demanded in the same low voice "They'll be very happy together and have perfect little blonde children who'll save the world one day. You've spent far too much time playing at being a lady, you were never meant for this world, you should be out there looking for your brothers. Now, you're going to pack the things you brought with you and you're going to leave"

That's exactly what she did. It took very little time to pack what little she had brought, she brushed out her hair, plaited it and put on her most simple dress. It was a plain white one that she had managed to make early on from scraps of other dresses. She packed the dress she had been wearing when she arrived into a small bag along with her hairbrush. The yellow rose Arthur had given her rested on her pillow, where it had fallen when she had thrown herself on the bed. She stood at the foot of her bed staring at it for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Kate wasn't sure she could leave it, she would need something to remind herself that this had all been real.

After wrapping the rose carefully in some of the torn linen of an old night gown and tucking it away in her bag she took one last look at Camelot. She could not come back when she left, that much was certain. She would also have to slip past everybody else in the castle. Her willpower was not strong enough right now to withstand questioning. She just hoped that, when she got down to the river there would be a boat free. No one would expect her to travel that way so there would be no one to stop her.

The castle was eerily quiet and the town more or less deserted. She slipped away unnoticed down towards the river. As luck would have it a single boat was left, a tiny thing, barely big enough for two people. Perhaps just long enough for her to lie down in. The name had mostly been worn away but the words 'The Lady' were still just visible.

Kate glanced around her one last time, nobody had noticed or followed. The fishermen who normally used the boats were absent, it was market day, they would all be up at Camelot, selling their catches. Camelot caught her eye. Stood, towering above her, the castle and the city walls caught the sunlight and almost glowed. It was a strange fact that the castle after only a few months felt more like home to her than anywhere else had ever done. She swallowed the lump in her throat, threw her bag into the boat and climbed in herself.

A/N: Ok took a little longer than I'd planned. In theory next chapter will be up in a couple of days but there are glaciers moving faster than my internet is at the moment so if there is a slight delay, that is why.


	16. Chapter 16: The Stream bore her Far Away

_And at the closing of the day_

_She loosed the chain, and down she lay;_

_The broad stream bore her far away,_

_The Lady of Sha-_

If anyone in the castle had been seized by a sudden desire to look out of one of the windows not long before midday and they had looked down towards the river, they may not even have noticed the small white figure in the tiny, decrepit boat. As it happened, a maid happened to glance out of a tower window at about this time and saw a lady dressed in white climb into a boat and disappear. She was often heard to say that she had seen a ghost sailing away from the castle, neglecting to mention the fact that the sun had been shining into her eyes. Even so she claimed it was an omen, which she might well have done given the events that followed within the town.

Down on the river Kate pointed the boat in the direction of the villages of Ditchford and Shallot and, beyond them, the mountains and the border of Mercia and let the boat just drift. In all honesty she hadn't thought this far ahead.

Now she'd left she wasn't entirely sure where she was going, she'd had the sense to take a couple of necklaces and bracelets with her to pay for shelter if she needed to. In truth though she could cook, clean and care for children. Thanks to her father she could even shoe a horse, it seemed unlikely that she would go hungry as long as there was work.

The last time she had heard from her oldest brother James he had been working in a forge on the borders of Mercia. It made sense to head in that direction and see what she could find out.

That decided she faced the front of the boat and watched as trees and fields floated past her and pinkish clouds floated overhead. For a while it was beautiful, dream-like even. The further away from Camelot the little boat wound, though, the less beauty everything seemed to hold. She tried humming a little tune to keeps her spirits up but somehow what started out as a bouncy little tune gradually turned into a slow, sad ballad.

Her mind flashed back to the note she had left in her room and she dimly wondered how long it would take them to find it. She just prayed it would be long enough to let her get a decent distance away and that she had worded it well enough that they would not worry.

'To Merlin (or whomsoever finds this note),

Please don't be alarmed. I've decided to go home; I cannot thank everybody enough for the kindness and hospitality I have been shown by all of you. As I leave the castle I also leave some of the bravest and best people I have ever known. However, I feel it is time to find my brothers. I have left all of the wonderful things given to me during my time here in the chest by the bed in the hope that a use may be found for them one day.

Your friend, Kate'

It felt about right, neither distant nor overly-friendly. She hoped it was enough to keep anyone from looking for her, she didn't think she had the will power to stay away if she saw any of them again.

The perfectly blue sky began to cloud over and the weather turned cold as the day passed on. She tried to stay awake but exhaustion was beginning to draw her down. It was like being buried under something, even breathing seemed like an effort. She hummed louder in an effort to keep herself awake and even tried to remember words to the song she was singing. It was like wading in quick sand, she didn't even have the energy left to fight the sleep any longer.

As the day drew to a close she finally gave in and succumbed to sleep, mid-hum her eyes closed and she was lost to the world. In rest she was pale and ill-looking, her breathing almost non-existent, her fiery hair fanned out behind her and her hands were folded neatly across her stomach.

So often we pass through life not knowing how differently things could have turned out. Kate would probably have scoffed if anybody had told her that what happened next might just as easily not have happened at all. If it hadn't, it is just as possible that she might have succumbed to a broken heart brought on by unrequited love. She may very well have died in that tiny boat and simply drifted ghostly down the river until she reached a natural stopping place. She would have called the woman died of heartbreak spineless and wet, would have laughed derisively at what she would have seen as pointless dramatics and would have looked in scorn at anyone who had suggested such superstitious nonsense was possible. So it's probably a good thing that this didn't happen, Kate would not go down in history as the mysterious Lady of Shallot, perhaps that role would fall to another. But for the grace of God that fate might have been Kate's, as it happened she was at the last moment dealt a rather different hand.

One man passed her as she drifted along, marble-like, across the glassy water and thought that he may have been going mad. His wife saw her too and gripped his arm, pointing to the Camelot coat of arms emblazoned on the back of the boat, just below where her head rested. The boat was floating just close enough to the bank that he could just about reach the side and pull the boat in. She stayed with the boat, unsure quite what she was supposed to do while he ran to the village a few hundred yards away to fetch help.

Kate vaguely registered voices, unsure whether or not she dreamt them

There were rapid footsteps and she heard a man's voice "Gwen! Jim's coming, he just had to grab a coat, he said he'll help us to move her. Is everything alright?"

There was a pause while a hand brushed her forehead ever so gently and then withdrew quickly "I don't think she's really unwell" said a woman's voice quietly "she's warm enough, I think she's just very tired. It can't be the most comfortable place to sleep. Does she look a tiny bit familiar to you?"

There was another pause and then she heard the man's voice again "she has a lovely face" he said quietly "like a fairy"

They might have talked for longer but there was another set of quick footsteps followed by a loud intake of breath. "Kate?" said a third voice, this one tinged with a little urgency.

She knew that voice, she knew very well that she couldn't be dreaming now, there was no way she could have imagined that. She forced her eyes to open, in spite of complaint on their part.

"James?" she gasped, sitting upright suddenly and tipping the boat over so that she fell into the water. Her older brother and the other man seized an arm each and pulled her out of the water, the other man had expected her to be shaken up by the icy water and her sudden impact with it. When they had sat her up on the bank though, they realised she was shaking with laughter.

"What's so funny?" asked James disapprovingly, with his hands on his hips. His eyes, virtually identical to Kate's, were narrowed.

It took her a minute to calm enough to explain "I was coming to find you; I didn't expect to actually find you so easily. I definitely didn't expect, when I found you, to fall into the water in that rather elegant way or for you to be in your pyjamas" she giggled again

James attempted to carry on regarding her with a disapproving look but he couldn't maintain it.

"This must be the sister you were telling us about" grinned the handsome dark haired man

"How did you know?"

"You've got the same eyes and hair" explained the other lady "I'm Guinevere by the way, this is my husband Lancelot"

Kate's eyes widened "As in the _Lady_ Guinevere and _Sir_ Lancelot?" she all but gasped

"How did you know that?" frowned Lancelot

"I've just come from Camelot" she shivered slightly and a cold breeze blew across her face "I met a few of the people in the castle, everybody knows about you both there"

They began to move towards the village and eventually came to rest in James' forge. He stoked the fire and draped a blanket around her shoulders and soon enough it was warm enough that the skirt of her dress began to steam.

"So what were you doing in Camelot anyway?" asked James

Kate sighed "Uncle Hector wanted to marry me off to a stranger so he hired two men to more or less carry me to the church" she paused, but when she noticed the fury in her brother's face "but I fought against them and ran away, I got as far as the woods and then I ran into Merlin"

"The little kid from our village?"

She nodded "He was out on a hunt or something with the King and some of the knights. They protected me from Hector and then insisted that I stay in the castle for a while. They wouldn't let me work for my keep so I lived like a lady. They rescued me again when Hector tried to take me away. In the end I had to leave though, I think I'd stayed too long" A look of understanding passed between Guinevere and Kate, then a figure appeared in the doorway of the forge and James gestured for the woman to come in.

"This is my sister" he said to the third lady as she entered the room and then he turned to Kate "Kate, this is my wife Deborah" he gestured to the tiny bundle of blankets that she held tightly "and this is my daughter Eve"

When Kate awoke the next morning she took a moment to take stock of her surroundings. She had a new niece who had to be the most beautiful baby she had ever seen. She had a sister in law who, while being very quiet and reserved, was lovely. She had found her big brother and she was fairly sure she had made a new pair of friends in Lancelot and Gwen.

After washing and dressing she spent the morning playing with baby Eve. For a morning Camelot and all of its inhabitants were out of her mind. While she was eating lunch with the others though, she watched the road and noticed how many people were travelling along it and how much weight they all seemed to be carrying. Lancelot was curious too, he wandered down to ask what exactly had happened. When he returned to the others he was pale-faced and looked worried

"It's Camelot" he said, tense.

Both James and Guinevere looked up wide-eyed and Kate was suddenly very aware of her own heartbeat, "what's happened?" she whispered, her face pale

"It's under siege"

A/N: And another one done...I realise that I may have to change the title because the connection to the poem is a little tenuous but it wasn't supposed to be. This story was supposed to end exactly like the poem but it didn't feel rigth somehow so you'll have to put up with me a little bit longer I'm afraid :)


	17. Chapter 17: The mirror cracked

_Out flew the web and floated wide;_  
><em>The mirror crack'd from side to side;<em>  
><em>'The curse is come upon me,' cried<em>  
><em>The Lady of Shalott<em>

Arthur couldn't be sure how it had happened. He supposed that his lack of sleep probably hadn't helped. He'd been aware as he rode back to the castle that something was not quite right. The surrounding fields were far too quiet; he sped his horse to a gallop and dismounted in the stables before his horse had even come to a halt. He raced to the top of the stairs, almost slipping in his haste to reach the top. He glanced out of a window, in the direction he had just come and could see a faint line on the horizon. Barely more than the width of a hair it was still visible and was growing. Black as a shadow, it stretched across the entire width of the skyline and was spreading towards the castle as he watched. He squinted and his stomach rolled as he realised that it was an army, a vast sea of people, moving towards the castle with the slow determination of tsunami.

Quick footsteps came from his left and he swivelled, sword drawn to see Merlin looking pale and terrified. "There you are" he gasped, "you need to come with me. Everyone's gathering in the great hall."

They both took off running again, this time further into the castle. "Catch me up" Arthur said as they pelted through the halls, trying not to trip over the general debris left by others passing that way before.

"It's Morgana" Merlin wheezed, trying desperately to catch his breath "she's recruited a few thousand mercenaries, the ones you can see out the window. King Alined heard they were coming and sent a servant to warn us. Morgana's found a tunnel under the castle"

Arthur stopped as they reached the great hall doors, "so we're just a sitting duck?"

Merlin flinched "of sorts. We've found a secret passage from the great hall to the forest so we're getting people out that way. Alined heard that she found a tunnel through the dungeons so we'll be alright to get out that way." There was a pause and Arthur glanced out of the window. The army was less than half a kilometre away at best, the drawbridge was being drawn up but somehow it felt pointless. Somewhere down in the bowels of the castle there was an almighty boom and the sound of distant yells.

Even more colour drained from Merlin's face "They're in" he whispered.

They ran down the last corridor and reached the hall. Arthur had never seen a place in such disarray, so many people, all crowding and panicking, trying to get out of the castle as quickly as possible. The place was a complete mess, overturned furniture and generalised debris littered the floor. Percival accosted them at the door.

"There you are sire!" he shouted "orders?"

Arthur pulled the doors closed behind himself and turned to face his knights, all of whom had stopped to hear their instructions "barricade the doors" he said quickly "we have to buy these people as much time as we can. We'll get them all out and then close the passage up behind them."

Gaius hurried over from the window, looking extremely concerned "Your Highness, you must know, you stand no real chance against their soldiers. Their numbers are far too great, in their hundreds; we are not ready for this kind of attack. If you stay here Camelot will fall"

Arthur was furious "I _will not_ abandon Camelot"

There was a distant shout of jubilation followed by an almighty bang. Merlin flew to the window, his face white "They've broken down the drawbridge"

"You have to leave" Gwaine reasoned, Camelot stands no chance without a King. If we get you out, you can gather forces and take Camelot back. If you stay you are signing a death warrant for Camelot and yourself."

The last of the townspeople forced their way out of the escape tunnel. Merlin watched him closely, knowing very well that Arthur's expression meant he had already decided to stay and that nothing would sway him in that decision.

"Arthur?" said Merlin quietly, exchanging a significant glance with Elyan. Elyan nodded carefully, understanding fully what that look meant.

"What?" Arthur snapped, tensing up as the rumble of hundreds of footsteps and the roar of many voices sounded from the floor below them, spreading towards them like a terrible tide.

"Don't take this personally" Merlin said quietly, there was a thud from somewhere behind Arthur and everything went black.

When Arthur woke it was with a pounding headache and no idea of where he was. He was lead on the ground which was mossy and damp, the air was cold and still. Silence was only occasionally broken by the sound of rain falling on leaves in the distance. Merlin sat cross-legged on the ground next to him, several of the knights were asleep on the ground around the fire.

"What happened?" he asked, gently feeling the bump on the back of his head.

Merlin looked at him guiltily "We had to get you out of there." He whispered apologetically, eyeing the sleeping knights "but you wouldn't listen. We made sure everyone was out and then Percival closed off the end of the tunnel. They'll never know how we got out. First thing tomorrow they'll ride through the nearest kingdoms asking for support and sending the word to everyone. We'll get Camelot back, don't worry."

He didn't have the energy to be angry but the news still came as something of a blow. For generations Camelot had been kept safe by even the most incompetent of Kings and yet he had failed. Perhaps he didn't deserve to be King; it certainly wasn't looking good so far. Merlin was watching him carefully, he obviously had something else to tell him, something he was very well aware Arthur wouldn't like.

"Agravaine was with them" said Merlin quietly, "he led the army in"

That was like a punch in the stomach. He couldn't even trust his own family anymore; evidently he was much of a judge of character either. Of course Agravaine had been the one to show them in, he knew the castle better than anyone else. Arthur slumped forwards onto his knees and groaned; several of the knights stirred out of their slumbers and began to sit up. Merlin and Gwaine were both murmuring nonsense in an attempt to comfort and reassure him but it was useless. The worst part of all this was that this could have been prevented. If he had been there from the beginning they would have been better prepared and the knights wouldn't have had to wait for orders. They could have fought. If only he hadn't gone on that stupid ride…if only he had walked around the castle to clear his head….if only his head hadn't been so muddled….why had his thoughts been so muddled? He tried to think through the residual mental fogginess of concussion, it was like trying to run in sand, exhausting. But when he finally remembered what had shaken him up so badly that morning that he had felt the need to leave the castle he felt his blood run cold. Kate. He hadn't seen her all day…had anyone?

He sat bolt upright "where's Kate?" he asked quietly, feeling sick as he watched one by one, every other man around the fire look just as horrified as he felt. Nausea gripped him and his stomach rolled.

Merlin was shaking "she was in her room the last time I saw her" he said quietly. Kate's room was halfway up one of the towers, if she was in her room when the attack had happened she would have been trapped. And no one had noticed she wasn't there, no one had remembered her existence, and they had cleared everyone out and just left her there. They knew very well that Morgana would have little to no interest in prisoners. If Morgana had kept her prisoner…well it didn't bare thinking about. In any case, the chance that she was still alive was miniscule.

Merlin watched as the last of Arthur's desire to fight drained from him.

* * *

><p>Some 10 or 11 miles away Kate pulled her horse to a stop and gasped as she surveyed the castle. The drawbridge has splintered and broken and the town around the castle was in complete disarray. The silence was eerie, like a ghost town.<p>

"It's true then" Guinevere whispered pulling her horse to a halt next to Kate's

"My God" Lancelot whispered from Kate's other side

"What do we do?" asked James, somewhat further back.

Kate didn't answer immediately; she just stared at what had been home until a few hours ago. When she left it, it had been just as beautiful, unbroken and strong as ever. Now it looked like a shell. She refused to allow herself to think of what might have happened to those inside. Pushing her feelings to one side, as she had had so much practice doing recently, she swallowed and turned the horse around to face the others.

"we need to know more" she said, hoping the faint wobbles in her voice wouldn't be detected by the others "The town shouldn't be this quiet so the people can't have gone far, they'll be around somewhere. Then we're going to need to find the knights and…the others and find a way to fight this. There won't be enough of us to take the castle so we'll need as many reinforcements as we can get, from everywhere. James, we're going to need weapons and armour."

The others nodded; glad to have been put to some use. Just at that moment there was a rustle in the bushes nearby and the men and Kate drew swords and pointed them in the direction of the noise. A small boy emerged from the bushes, barefoot and large-eyed. Kate recognised him immediately as the child from the market what seemed like years and years ago, it seemed her recognised her too.

He attempted a clumsy sort of bow to her before addressing her in the way he had obviously been taught to, "please, m'lady, I know where you and your friends might find the knights and the King"

Kate hopped down off of her horse "they are unharmed then?" she asked carefully

He nodded "they helped us all to get out through a secret tunnel and then they followed and collapsed it behind them so that morgana couldn't follow"

Kate bit her lip and turned to the others "Arthur will already be gathering support here but it may not be enough, he will have strong supporters in Caerleon and Mercia, we'll need to gather as many as we can."

"I know several blacksmiths in Mercia" said James "I'm sure we can gather a few swords together if needs be, if I set off now I may be back before sunrise, I will find you in the forest?" Kate nodded and he turned and galloped away.

Guinevere turned to Lancelot "didn't you say that you had friends in Caerleon? If you start now, you will have reached them in an hour or so, we're not far from the border"

Lancelot nodded and he too left. "I know people in all corners of Camelot" Guinevere began "I can gather at least a hundred fighters together before morning, what will you do?"

Kate paused "I need to have a word with Lady Juliet." Guinevere nodded and turned to leave. Kate bent to the little boy "will you speak to Merlin for me please?" he nodded "tell him we're bringing help"

"What's your name?" asked the child

Kate paused, help was unlikely to be welcomed from the person who had apparently abandoned the castle just as it most needed defence "My name is Guinevere" she said quietly, and watched him sprint away towards the trees.


	18. Chapter 18: The storm of battle

_There is a sound of thunder afar,_  
><em>Storm in the south that darkens the day,<em>  
><em>Storm of battle and thunder of war,<em>  
><em>Well, if it do not roll our way.<em>

In another life, Merlin mused later, he might have made an excellent motivational speaker. Perhaps he should consider it as a career. When you really thought about it, the idea that a sword wedged in a lump of rock would ever know who would make a good monarch was laughable. But it had worked. Arthur had regained some his old self-assurance and had rallied the men they had managed to gather. In all it was a decent effort but it still wasn't quite enough.

When the little boy had arrived in the middle of the night with news from Gwen and told them that Lancelot and Guinevere were bringing reinforcements the sense of relief amongst the group was actually palpable. There was actually a chance that they could win this.

Nobody dared to mention Kate's absence. The thread holding all of them together mentally was so fragile that it was thinner than a cobweb. Things had infinitely improved since Arthur had managed to retrieve the stone but they still seemed to be dancing on the edge of a volcano. But they went on preparing anyway, sharpening swords, fitting armour and mock-duelling against each other. Arthur poured over maps of the castle and talked tactics with his closest knights.

They snatched sleep whilst they could, all around the forest clearing there were men slumped against trees or curled up against boulders, dozing. Merlin kept a look out while he was awake, aware that this battle may well signify the end of everything for him. If Arthur came under threat during the battle, he would have to use magic to save him; he couldn't guarantee that he would get away without anyone noticing this time, particularly if it came down to a fight with Morgana. There would be no disguising that.

As he stared across the forest from his vantage point hidden in the branches of s tree that he noticed a large group heading towards them, once the initial panic had subsided he recognised the figure of Guinevere, walking alongside Lancelot, between them they must have been leading nearly two hundred soldiers, all fully armed and armoured. Merlin gave a great whoop of delight and jumped down, running to greet old friends he hadn't seen in far too long.

Lancelot shook his hand enthusiastically and Guinevere hugged him so tightly he could barely breathe "It's so good to see you again" she said almost crying "what's happened?"

Merlin explained the concept of the sword in the stone as briefly as possible, thankfully neither questioned him. "Arthur says we'll attack at dusk today, Gwaine thinks that there's a way for us to get into the castle without being noticed."

Gwen nodded "and how is Arthur? I doubt he's taking it very well"

Merlin blanched "Not great, better than he was I think" he lowered his voice "A friend of mine has been staying in the castle for the last few months and I think they've developed feelings for each other. She was in the castle when it was attacked, we couldn't get her out and, from what we've heard, she's unlikely to still be alive"

Lancelot swore and Gwen gasped and covered her mouth. "Would Morgana really do that?" she asked.

The other two both raised eyebrows at her "of course she would" said Lancelot "she is the devil incarnate"

Just then Arthur appeared and saw them. For a moment he froze and stared, a few months ago the sight of his ex-fiancée standing so close to her new husband would have caused him physical pain, right now he felt numb. He nodded to them and gestured for Merlin to follow him.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked

"There's a man here claiming to be Kate's brother, he's brought an army of mercenaries from Mercia. He says you'll recognize him."

They rounded the corner and saw James leaning against a tree, his enormous arms were folded across his chest and he was grinning at them. "Merlin!" he bellowed "scrawny as ever I see" he slapped Merlin on the back, nearly sending him flying "good to see you"

"Good to see you too" Merlin smiled, still trying to catch his breath. He took in the vast number of soldiers James had brought, as well as the carts piled high with swords and shields and helmets, pulled by dozens of horses. The thought suddenly struck him that, at some point they would have to tell James that they had failed to keep his little sister safe. He was thankfully saved from this horrific task by the arrival of a third group of soldiers, these were apparently unaccompanied, the man at the front bowed deeply to Arthur before announcing in a gruff voice

"Your highness, Lady Juliet has sent us as reinforcements to your army, she expresses her utmost support for your recovery of the castle"

Lancelot and the other knights stepped forwards, followed by the entirety of Arthur's own group of soldiers.

Arthur gaped, in total the number men under his command may have nearly reached a thousand by this point, a far greater army than he had ever commanded, and almost as large as Morgana's. "How did she know?" he asked

There was a pause and then a familiar voice said loudly "I told her" Kate appeared, on horseback just to Arthur's right. He forgot how to breathe, he had been so sure she had been captured or worse killed and yet there she sat, as real as he. Still not breathing he watched, as if time had slowed, as Merlin sprinted forwards and with surprising strength, pull her from her horse and hug her tightly. The knights engulfed her, all telling her how glad they were that she was safe and wondering how she could have escaped.

There was a pause as they waited for an answer "I wasn't in the castle when it was attacked" she looked almost ashamed and avoided eye contact with all of them "I decided to visit my brother for a few days, I did leave a note I just…" she blushed trying to find a way to explain why she would have left so suddenly

"needed to clear your head" Arthur finished for her, realising that he may have been part of the reason she had left and that perhaps her answer was not for everybody's ears. She nodded, looking directly at him for the first time. "You are unharmed then?" he asked, taking a step forward

She nodded, taking a step forward too "and you?" her eyes had filled with tears and she blinked to keep them from falling

He spread his arms "I am well, as you can see"

She nodded again and made a peculiar squeaking sort of noise before something seemed to snap and she ran to him flinging herself into his arms. He buried his head in her shoulder and hugged her so tightly that he almost lifted her off the floor while she gripped his waist as though she would fall off the face of the earth if she let go and pressed her cheek against his chest. Suddenly nearly a thousand people felt as though they had walked into a very private moment.

James grinned at Merlin "well this is new, are they always like this?"

Merlin shrugged "Normally they pretend to think that they're only friends…or they argue"

"I thought they'd taken you" Arthur whispered "I thought you were dead"

"I'm sorry" she whispered back "I didn't think anyone would notice if I went away for a bit"

"Of course I'd notice"

"Well I know that now, don't worry, I'll stay right here from now on"

He pulled back sharply "but you can't, you have to go somewhere safe"

Her temper fired up immediately "the hell I have to" she said loudly "I've just brought you soldiers and I'm more than capable of defending myself as you know."

"This is more like it" Merlin whispered to James.

A/N: Soooo, we may well be in sight of the end of this little fic, but I've just put up the first chapter of new Harry Potter fanfic I've been working on, have a look if it sounds like something you might like.


	19. Chapter 19: Thro' Rolling Drums

_Thy voice is heard thro' rolling drums,_  
><em>That beat to battle where he stands;<em>  
><em>Thy face across his fancy comes,<em>  
><em>And gives the battle to his hands:<em>

Arthur looked around, suddenly very aware of the presence of the other people in the clearing. He seized Kate's hand and pulled her away so that they wouldn't be overheard

"Please just do this, as a favour to me, don't go into battle with us tonight" he was almost begging

She put her hand on her hips "why not? You've never had a problem with me fighting anyone before"

He paused, opened his mouth, shut it again, paced back and forth and then burst out "I don't want to lose you again"

She reared back, startled "what?"

"For the past night, for all I knew you were dead and it was torture. You mean more to me than almost anyone else and I couldn't bare it if something happened to you and it was my fault"

She took his hand and forced him to stand still "Arthur, there is nothing you can do to stop me being there so you may as well face the fact that I'm going to be there. But you know that I can look after myself and you are also mad if you think I'm going to sit here waiting to hear if you've survived"

"Gwen's staying"

"But I'm not Gwen am I?"

"I'm not going to pretend I'm happy about it" he mumbled, rubbing his forehead tiredly with his free hand

"Well you'll have to grin and bear it I'm afraid" she said and then she froze and dropped his hand as she remembered something "Oh, your fiancée sends her regards"

"What?" for a moment he was utterly nonplussed and then comprehension dawned. He opened his mouth to say something, anything to stop her from stepping any further away from him. But there was a noise to their right and Percival appeared looking uncomfortable and, Arthur thought glancing between him and Kate, a little disgruntled.

"Sire" he said quietly "apologies for interrupting, but your soldiers need orders if we are to attack by nightfall"

Arthur nodded and began to leave, pausing to glance back at Kate.

"Go on" she nodded encouragingly "I need to change anyway" she ran her hands over the skirt of the now tattered and frankly quite grubby dress and, frowning, pulled a leaf out of her hair.

"So everybody knows the plan don't they?" Arthur said, stooped over a map pinned to a tree stump. It was dusk and dark clouds were gathering fast, they were squinting at the rough map through semi darkness. It had been agreed that, in order to attack as swiftly and successfully as possible, they would use as little light as possible. A small force would attack the castle, while many more hid against the walls and in the tunnel over the moat until the majority of soldiers inside had been drawn out of the protective shelter of the castle.

"I think you've covered everything" Gwaine grinned "the third time really fixed it in our minds" he glanced over to the castle "Time to go?" Arthur nodded, and the soldiers in the clearing began to disperse.

Left behind for a moment, Arthur screwed up his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Never had so many lives been in his hands, never before had the stakes been so high. He felt a small hand slip into his own and grip it tightly. His eyes snapped open, Kate stood next to him, her grip on his hand unfaltering. He knew then that, however beautiful she looked before or after that, he would remember her just as she looked then. In a scarlet dress, thick black corset, a belt slung across her hips held a sword and perhaps eight small daggers. Her wild curls were loosely plaited down her back, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes glittered. She looked wild, completely free and above all more _alive_ than he'd ever seen anyone look before.

"We'll be ok" she said quietly, as though she had known exactly what had been bothering him, just as she always did "if anyone can do this it's you, we'll get through this together, I promise" he nodded and gripped her hand too "now let's go"

They snuck up to the castle with few difficulties and waited, with baited breath for the signal. Kate found Merlin and tapped him on the shoulder. He was so tense that almost shouted.

"I know you're not expecting to make it out of this alive, you're risking a lot by doing this but you don't have to"

He looked at her very seriously "yes I do, I don't have a choice" she understood exactly what he meant but her gaze didn't falter.

"You may be right there" she whispered, glancing around to make sure no one was listening "but then again it might not come to that, can you prevent Morgana using her magic?"

"I think so"

She grinned mischievously "then you concentrate on doing that and leave Morgana to me" she squeezed his forearm involuntarily as a roar somewhere above their heads signalled the beginning of their fight. Some of her determined sparkle faltered slightly but then she grinned and pulled a dagger from her belt and twirling lightly between her fingers.

Afterwards Kate could never really remember how the first part of the battle had gone, adrenaline alone carried them as far as the inside of the walls. Never had she encountered such a mass of people and noise. Morgana's army swarmed out of the gates, evidently armed but not quite prepared for the animosity of their enemies. Lead by Lancelot, several men began to scale the castle walls, pulling Morgana's archers from their positions. The only thing that Kate was aware of was the fact that she had to get to the castle, if anyone got in her way she ensure they very quickly got out of it. She knew that if she gave any thought to the men she was fighting she would be unable to go on so she just pushed forwards, leaving a wake behind her as she went.

Something seized her ankle and wrenched her foot out from under her so that she fell flat onto her front. She rolled over, knife in hand to defend herself against her attacker, only to see an arrow sail through the air at roughly the point her neck would have been, had she not fallen. Her saviour was the little boy from the market.

"Thank you" she gasped, he bowed his head "what's your name?"

"William, miss" he said offering her a hand to help her to her feet

"well, William, thank you very much" she stood up and brushed herself off "now I need you to get somewhere safe until this is all over" she elbowed a soldier in the face as he raised a sword behind her, turned and caught his arm. She snatched the sword from his grip and quickly disabled him with it. She sprinted on up the slope towards the castle gates, where Merlin was gesturing wildly for her to keep up.


	20. Chapter 20: Pale as Deadly Pale

_My face turned pale as deadly pale._  
><em>My legs refused to walk away,<em>  
><em>And when she looked, what could I ail?<em>  
><em>My life and all seemed turned to clay.<em>

While the others worked their way upwards through the castle, Kate slipped alone down to the dungeons. She knew full well that if this didn't end in their favour, they would need a plan. The dungeon was empty of prisoners, and the doors of the cages were open. She pocketed the keys hung up by the door and ran back up to join the others.

Arthur could see his men were tiring. Though they had had strategy and the element of surprise on their side, Morgana's forces were far stronger and were showing no signs of relenting in their defence of the castle. Merlin had never been much help in a fight anyway. Thankfully the other side seemed to be extraordinarily unlucky or clumsy, either way the number of times they seemed to trip over their own feet or accidentally stab each other or be crushed by falling beams could only be called unfortunate.

He would have to consider offering a knighthood to Kate's brothers James and Harold (who had found them shortly before the battle began). So fierce were they as they fought that one or two of their enemies had switched sides or simply fled. He could see where Kate got her abilities from, it was like watching two master assassins at work, so precise and powerful were their movements that they might have been dancing.

There was such confusion caused by all this though that he wasn't always aware of which way he was facing. Villagers ran past in blind panic in all directions. At one point a child ran past, obviously lost and disorientated, narrowly avoiding the swipe of a sword.

He wondered vaguely as he duelled with another man, ducking as a fist swung towards his face, where Kate was. He called her name to see if she was nearby, there was a moment's pause in which he assumed that she was somewhere behind them, possibly even still in the grounds and would not have heard. Then the man he was fighting made a bizarre choking sort of noise and slumped onto the ground at Arthur's feet. A dagger was bedded firmly in his back. In a doorway a few feet away, Kate relaxed her stance "you called?" she grinned and retrieved her weapon with an unpleasant squelching noise.

"Well done baby sis" James said incredulously, "did we teach you that?"

She nodded, turning as another soldier burst through the doorway. She picked up a shield lying on the floor, threw it up in the air and caught it by the handle before smashing it into the man's face with such force that he slid down the wall opposite. She turned back to the others and blew a strand of hair out of her face "I taught myself that though" she stepped lightly over the bodies that littered the hallway and past the men gaping at her "shall we?"

Harold leaned across to James as they followed their little sister into battle "what's gotten into her?" he whispered "she used to be such a timid little thing"

James cast a meaningful glance at the back of Arthur's head "I've got some idea" he replied.

When they finally reached the throne room their number had been greatly reduced. Several knights had stayed behind to guard their advance. Gwaine was suffering from the after effects of an arrow to the shoulder and Percival was looking distinctly worse for wear. Arthur ran in sword raised, and was immediately engaged in a fierce duel with one of Morgana's henchmen. Kate caught Merlin's eye and inclined her head in Morgana's direction, he nodded. She didn't have time to watch Morgana panic as time and time again her magic failed; Agravaine had charged towards her and was attacking her with nothing short of blind fury. Strangely, this was more difficult to beat than someone who knew what they were doing, finally disarming Agravaine she had a free second to glance around the room, Morgana had fled, Merlin and Percival were giving chase. Arthur had all but won his duel and the one remaining henchman had his sword pointed at the throat of a tiny figure who was cowering against the wall.

Kate recognised the large eyes in a second "William!" she screamed, flinging one of her last daggers at his captor, hitting her target perfectly. "What are you doing here?"

"I got lost" he cried, shaking

She shook her head, no time for niceties "run, now!" she shouted, but she paid dearly for her momentary distraction. With all the strength he possessed Agravaine had swung his fist into her ribs and completely winded her. She managed to club him over the head with the butt of her sword before she reached the floor and then she allowed herself to sink until she could catch her breath.

There was a jubilant shout from outside and a semi-conscious Morgana was carried in by Percival and Merlin.

"Sire!" Percival exclaimed "we have won, the castle is ours"

"You only need to deal with Morgana now" Merlin finished grinning. Nobody would ever know how big a hand he had had in her defeat.

They revived her slightly and made her kneel to face the King. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" he asked, his voice shaking with anger and hurt "you have been responsible for untold misery and destruction; you must have some apology to make"

Defiant to the end, and obviously knowing nothing she said now could save her, Morgana just laughed in his face. A snarl of anger escaped Arthur's throat, he raised his arm and brought his sword down. The light was gone from Morgana's eyes as she slumped forwards. And so it ended, not with a bang but with a whimper. Something of an anti-climax really.

He glanced around the room for something with which he could distract himself. His eyes fell on Kate who was sat on the floor leaning against a pillar, her breathing laboured.

"What are you doing down there?" he teased.

"Just catching my breath" she replied smiling "your uncle punched me in the stomach and I think he might have cracked a rib or something"

Arthur frowned "we'll have to get that fixed, here, let me give you a hand" he took her hand to help her up but as soon as she got to her feet she cried out in pain, clutching at her side. When her hand came away it was scarlet. Arthur's stomach lurched, he felt his blood run cold and the most intense fear he had ever felt gripped at his heart. He heard someone give a horrified shout, he later realised it had been Percival, and fell to his knees next to her.

Kate hit the floor again, suddenly aware of how difficult it was to breathe, it certainly wasn't getting easier. Through slightly blurred vision she watched Arthur and the others crowd her. As though she was under water she heard their voices becoming more and more muffled. Her gaze fell on the unconscious figure of Agravaine, in his limp hand there lay a small dagger, the blade of which was stained with her blood.


	21. Chapter 21: Her cheek still glowing

_I saw her as 'twas yesterday,_  
><em>The bloom upon her cheek still glowing;<em>  
><em>And round her play'd a golden ray,<em>  
><em>And on her brows were gay flowers blowing<em>

_Arthur stood on the banks of a river, possibly the most beautiful he'd ever seen. Both banks were dusted with wild flowers in vivid blues and pinks and purples, the sun shone brilliantly through the nearby trees and birds flew over his head. There was a noise from amongst the trees and Kate appeared, glowing faintly. She looked almost angelic, her normally wild curls fell softly to her waist and her robe was blindingly white._

"_We've won" she smiled softly_

"_That's debatable" he frowned "I know we got the castle back, but what about you?"_

_She shrugged "you win some you lose some. You and the Knights came through relatively unscathed, my brothers and Merlin survived, from where I'm standing this couldn't have worked out better"_

"_But you're…you're" His mouth, he couldn't make himself say the word_

"_Maybe I'll survive, maybe I won't." She gripped his hand tightly "Merlin always says that things very rarely work out as you plan but they have a habit of working out for the best anyway. You'll be fine anyway, you're far stronger than you think. You don't really need me" She stepped away from him and climbed into a small boat moored at the edge of the river that he hadn't noticed before._

"_But I want you" he admitted, for the first time to anyone but himself. There was the most breath taking sound from above them. A mute swan flew overhead singing a beautiful mournful tune. Kate watched as it passed overhead and towards the sun which had suddenly began to set._

"_Time to go" she pushed away from the bank and lead down in the boat as it drifted away from him. He couldn't follow; his feet were glued to the floor. He could only watch and she floated out of sight and left him standing alone._

Arthur woke with a start, his neck aching from sleeping with his chin resting against his chest. He was still sat in the uncomfortable chair in the corner of her room. He hadn't left in nearly 48 hours. James was talking quietly to Merlin, his face ashen with lack of sleep. Merlin himself was not looking his best, he had not left either. In the bed, asleep yet barely breathing, lay Kate. Since the battle she had barely managed to open her eyes, let alone speak.

_Her eyes closed as she hit the ground. For the first time Arthur looked completely helpless, he looked instead to Merlin. Merlin started, in all honesty he didn't know what he was supposed to do, but nobody else was looking to take charge. "We need to move her to a room" he said as authoritatively as he could manage before bending to examine the wound. It was not particularly large but it was deep. The offending weapon was curved to ensure maximum damage. The skin around the wound was oddly reddish-purple, in a way he had only seen once before "poisoned" he muttered, turning to Lancelot "bring Gaius, tell him to bring every antidote he owns"_

_Using a loose door as a makeshift stretcher, the knights carried her to the nearest bedroom while Merlin tried to stem the flow of blood. As they laid her on the bed she opened her eyes and seemed about to say something and then she twisted round and retched, blood trickled out the side of her mouth then she led back and clenched her eyes tight shut, clenching her teeth so as to avoid screaming in agony._

_Merlin leant down by her ear "I have a potion I can give you, I made it just in case someone got injured. It'll heal the wound straight away"_

_She shook her head, breathing deeply to try and keep her voice down "please don't Merlin, all of this will have been for nothing, do the best you can but don't risk exposing yourself"_

_His eyes began to fill with tears "I can't just let you die"_

_For a second her face took on a fierce look "And I won't let you risk everything for me"_

_Realising that she wasn't going to change her mind, at least for the moment, he began preparing an antidote to the poison. Her face was losing its colour and grey circles were darkening under her eyes. Arthur sat next to her, holding her hand as though it would be wrenched from his grasp. _

"_Don't you dare go anywhere" he whispered rubbing her fingers to try and warm them "you promised we'd get through this together"_

"_So I did" she breathed, swallowing the last of the antidote Merlin had given her "I'd better not give up then"_

Since then she hadn't eaten, had barely drunk anything and had only sometimes managed to stay awake. All that time Merlin had kept watch, Arthur had held her hand and her brothers took turns to sit with her. The knights slept in the corridor and performed the most menial tasks just to feel that they were helping somehow.

"Something's happened" Arthur sat up in the chair, renewing his grip on her hand. Her face had suddenly taken on that terrible waxy quality so often seen on those nearing death.

Merlin seized her wrist, feeling for a pulse "her heart is slowing" he said, panicked

"KATE" Arthur yelled her name again and again, hoping that it would be enough to bring her back from the brink of death. "do something!" he shouted desperately at Merlin. The noise had attracted attention and the knights flooded into the room.

"There's no poison left in her" Merlin muttered under his breath "she's just too weak to fight it anymore" He would never remember the words he used later. He just knew that he had broken his promise to her. He was using magic in front of everyone, Arthur included, firing every spell he could think of and even a couple he didn't know the origin of in the desperate hope that one would work. He could not just sit there and watch her die.

Lying on the bed Kate took one final rasping breath in and then was completely still.

"You're a sorcerer?" Arthur whispered, blank faced at Merlin

Merlin nodded, too exhausted to speak. He had used every ounce of magic he could find in himself and it hadn't been enough. Her marble-white face remained unmoved, still she didn't breathe. He was utterly beaten.

"Then bring her back" Arthur snarled, when Merlin only stared at him he repeated his demand more loudly, leaning across the bed, seizing Merlin by the shoulders and shaking him "I said, bring her back!" tears were threatening to spill down his cheeks and his hands were shaking

"I can't" Merlin mumbled, nearly crying himself "there isn't a spell to bring back the dead"

"What are you talki-" Arthur stopped abruptly, midsentence as a small, cold hand clamped around his forearm.

They all turned to stare at Kate. Her eyes were barely open, her breathing was shallow and she was still deathly pale but she was looking directly at them. She was staring directly at the pair of them through barely opened eyes. "That's enough now" she whispered softly "There will be time to discuss this later but for now" she took a slightly stronger breath in "I'd quite like to sleep if that's ok"


	22. Chapter 22: Sunshine Leaves a Glow

_Those smiles unto the moodiest mind_  
><em>Their own pure joy impart;<em>  
><em>Their sunshine leaves a glow behind<em>  
><em>That lightens o'er the heart.<em>

After that Kate noticeably improved, colour began to very slowly return to her cheeks and, though she looked like she might break with the smallest force, she was definitely getting stronger. Arthur rarely left her side and the knights stayed with him in shifts, Percival in particular seemed reluctant to leave. Since Merlin had been exposed he had not been allowed to leave the room and he almost did not dare speak, not trusting himself to not make things worse. Arthur had turned to him several times as though he was about to speak but had looked away again without saying anything. It made both of them very tense.

Occasionally Kate would shift in her sleep or wake up and there would be a flurry of activity until she fell asleep again, often so exhausted that she would drift off mid-sentence.

It took nearly two days but she was eventually well enough to sit up in bed and hold a conversation. It didn't take her long to notice the silence in the room or to work out what the reason for it was. She gave a slight huff and seized Arthur's hand in a tight grip with one hand, gripping Merlin's forearm with the other.

"Alright" she said grimly "the three of us need to talk" she turned to Merlin "I told you not to use magic"

"I wasn't going to just let you die" he answered indignantly

Arthur nodded and then froze "you knew he was a…a"

"A warlock? Yes I've known for years" Kate finished impatiently and then continued when she saw him starting to look angry "I couldn't tell you could I? You were unlikely to welcome the presence of magic in the castle even though it's been saving your life for years. You didn't really think Percival defeated Morgana all by himself did you?"

"What are you talking about?" Arthur whispered, wide eyed

Seeing that this was perhaps a little bit too much information for him to take in all in one go, Kate nodded to Merlin to take over. He could at least soften the blow a little.

"Gaius thought, after that whole saving you from a witch when I first got here thing, that I'd ended up in Camelot for a reason. It seemed to make sense that I was supposed to be here to protect you from black magic. Apparently you're going to be a big important King one day and I have to make sure that that happens at all costs. But you're my friend too and I won't stand by and see harm come to my friends if I can prevent it."

"Please don't punish him" Kate pleaded with Arthur "you've no idea how much he's risked to protect all of us, he's probably the only reason we managed to win this battle."

Arthur seemed lost in his thoughts for nearly a whole minute, neither of the other two dared to interrupt. At last he squeezed Kate's hand and watched her fingers as she squeezed his hand back.

"Right" Arthur took a deep breath "the way I see it is this. Merlin's been using magic for years without my knowledge and no harm's ever come to anyone else right?" they both nodded "I'm loathe to put one of my best and most loyal friends in prison after he's risked so much just to keep me safe. Besides which" he looked directly at Merlin and gripped Kate's hand tightly "without you Kate wouldn't still be here and that alone would be enough to escape any kind of punishment"

"So I can practice magic?" Merlin grinned eagerly

"So long as you're discreet, I still think magic in the wrong hands could be dangerous. I don't want to set a precedent when we've only just fought a war"

"But what about-" Merlin started to ask but Kate shook her head gently

"Best not to run before we can walk, I think" she said gently

No more was said on the subject for that day but Merlin was so delighted he could have danced around the room. Now that Kate was so obviously better Arthur had been persuaded to have dinner downstairs with the others staying in the castle

In all honesty he was exhausted, particularly after the revelations of this morning, and would much rather have just gone to bed for a few hours. But he went, with the intention of eating enough to get him by and then going to bed, which would have been fine if Gwen had not cornered him as he made to leave.

Several floors above Merlin was engaged in a very awkward conversation with Kate and she was enjoying every second of it.

"No" he was saying "between a battle and taking care of you I haven't had time to talk to her" His ears had gone red and his cheeks were pink. Apropos of nothing Kate had turned to him and asked him if anything had happened between him and Sophia, the pretty maid she had been teasing him about at the ball.

"Well you don't need to take care of me anymore, do you?" some of her old twinkle was returning to her eyes and her cheeks were positively rosy. She huffed childishly when he refused to give her an answer and resorted to whining at him "Come on Merlin! Go and talk to her. You won't let me get out of bed for ages and I'm dying of boredom here"

"Don't joke about that" he said quietly and the frowned at her "and I'm not going to talk to her just to keep you amused"

"You know I'm not a good patient…I will keep whining until I get my way"

"I'm sure you will"

"What have you got to lose anyway? You just saved a life, got permission to use magic and survived a war, all in less than a week."

Merlin slumped in his chair "I don't know what to say to her"

"Merlin!" she barked from her bed, in a voice not a million miles away from his mother's "Get down to the kitchens right now and talk to the nice girl before I get someone to bring her up here" He found his legs would not obey him and were already carrying him out of the door and down the stairs "Thank you" she called sweetly as he disappeared from view.

Some distance away Arthur and Gwen's conversation was not dissimilar

"Have you told her yet?" Gwen had demanded, before they had even reached the castle doors.

"Told who what?" came the weary reply

"You know what I mean" she snapped "Have you told Kate that you love her?"

His voice suddenly became very cool "I don't really see that that's any of your business"

"She's a nice girl and she loves you more than is really good for her, if that meeting in the forest was anything to go by. You do love her don't you?"

"Yes, yes of course I do"

"So why are you engaged to someone else?"

He looked stunned, he had been meaning to break off the engagement with Lady Juliet for days but he'd been so busy with Kate that he just hadn't had the time. He buried his head in his hands "I've been meaning to sort that out"

Her expression softened "Good. I think you love her more than you ever loved me, you look at her differently"

He looked at her closely, she wasn't jealous or sad, it was merely an observation "I think I do"

"Then tell her" she laughed "God knows she won't say it first, particularly since she thinks you're still engaged to someone else"

"It's difficult to know what to say"

"Of course it is" she patted him on the back "love was never easy, but you're going to have to man up and say it. You've nearly lost her twice…what more of an incentive do you need?"

_ A/N: Two more chapters to go!  
><em>


	23. Chapter 23: Return no more

_I never saw so sweet a face __  
><em>_As that I stood before. __  
><em>_My heart has left its dwelling-place __  
><em>_And can return no more_

It took Arthur some time to find the right time and place. He knew any number of men would have tried to make it as public an occasion as possible but Kate had never been the kind of person comfortable in the spotlight. There were a lot of loose ends that needed to be sorted beforehand as well. By the time he had decided what to say and where to say it, she was up and walking around again, albeit a little unsteadily.

He found her one morning in the stables, the fact that she was not yet allowed to ride again or even help with cleaning up the castle was a source of great frustration to her. She had spent some time in locating a small child called William who had apparently done her a favour. Once she had found him she had not rested until she had found a good family for him to stay with and paid for him to be apprenticed with a local carpenter.

He was reluctant to disturb her when he eventually did find her. She had hold of her horse's bridle and was gently stroking its face while she murmured softly to it. Every now and then she glanced longingly at the saddle hung on the wall.

"Cabin fever?" he smiled, she nearly jumped out of her skin

"I didn't see you there"

"That may have been because I didn't want to be seen"

"Touché, so what can I do for you?" She hadn't moved from where she stood. Things had been a little awkward when her health had improved; suddenly holding her hand all the time had seemed a little too personal.

"I was wondering if you fancied a walk?"

Her shoulders slumped in disappointment "I'm not allowed to do too much"

He stepped forwards and gripped her shoulders "And when exactly did you start doing what you were told?" she giggled "I'll look after you, we won't go far I promise"

He led her out of the grounds and across to the forest. They walked slowly because she still tired easily, but mainly because she was enjoying her new freedom, summer was in its last days and the flowers seemed to be throwing all their energy into one last glorious bloom. The sun was warm but the breeze was cool, the trees were turning amber and they were surrounded by a sea of colour.

They didn't talk much on the way there, she was too wrapped up in taking it all in and he was too busy admiring the way her eyes sparkled and her cheeks flushed pink. They passed by a small stream and came to stop under a low-branched tree. Finally she spoke

"So what are we doing here?"

"Don't you remember this tree?"

She looked up towards the upper branches and then looked back at him wide-eyed "This is the tree we climbed! I can't believe you remember that"

"I can't believe you forgot" He teased

"What was it you wanted to say?" she pressed, leaning carefully against the trunk of the tree

And now he didn't know what to say, he hadn't thought so far as the words he was going to use. "I just wanted to talk to you" he began and then paused

Her face turned serious immediately "What's wrong? Has something happened?"

"No nothing's happened, everything's fine"

But she was worried now and was not about to relax until she had an answer "So what's wrong?" Her tone was increasingly desperate

He couldn't help feeling more and more flustered as she began to look really concerned "Kate" he blurted out "I'm trying to tell you I love you, can you just wait for me to finish?"

Her response was far from the joyful one he expected, she simply stared at him blankly

"Aren't you supposed to say something?" he said quietly

"Why are you doing this?" her voice cracked and there were tears in her eyes, "It's not nice to make fun of people Arthur" It was a good thing she had to lean against the tree because he suspected otherwise she would have walked away

"What are you talking about? Why would I make fun of you?"

"Merlin must have told you, I suppose." She was genuinely crying now "I knew nothing could ever happen between us, you're engaged to someone else and I'm a commoner. I accepted that and I would have put up with it. I never would have said anything…why did you have to-" She was interrupted here by Arthur who (at a loss for how else to convince her to stop talking) had pulled her rather forcefully towards him and kissed her.

"Now do you believe me?"

Again she looked startled rather than happy "I thought you were engaged"

"Not anymore, I didn't want to tell anyone until it had been sorted out but it's official now, I'm a free man"

"So why _me_?"

"Because you're beautiful and clever and loyal and have more guts than most men I've ever met" She still just stared at him "This is the moment when you're supposed to tell me that you love me too"

She frowned at him for a moment, obviously still processing what he had told her, though he couldn't for the life of him see why she was so shocked by it all. After a moment she realised he was still looking at her expectantly "Of course I love you, you idiot, I thought that much was obvious"

He let out a great shout of laughter "Only you could say something like that and make it sound like an insult" she cracked a smile for the first time "So am I allowed another kiss now you've stopped crying?"

She gave him a coy smile that he'd never seen before and looked at him from under her eyelashes "I suppose so" she smiled. The effect of her so obviously flirting with him was more than enough encouragement.

By the time they pulled apart her knees had weakened slightly, she wasn't sure whether it was from the kiss or just fatigue. Either way he scooped her up and carried her back to the castle.

"You can't do this the whole way" she giggled "I'm far too heavy, you'll hurt yourself"

"Are you doubting my strength Madame?" he feigned offence "I've carried armour that weighed more, I'll be fine"

Resigning herself to the fact that this was a battle she could live with losing she wrapped her arms round his neck and nuzzled into his chest "So what happens now?"

He took a deep breath, carrying her over the threshold into the castle "well I suppose we carry on as we are for now, until Camelot's rebuilt at least. Then I might ask you to marry me"

"And I might say no" she was teasing him again

"You might" he conceded, setting her down on her feet so he could kiss her again "But I have a feeling you probably won't."


	24. Epilogue: In Towered Camelot

Arthur stood by the window, looking out over the market of Camelot. It was now virtually unrecognisable since his father's time. The town had expanded well beyond the city walls, there was a ring two or three houses deep around the wall. The market bustled; every stall seemed to advertise a different trade. Foods which had never been seen in Camelot ten years ago were being sold by the pound this morning.

Across the room from him, a map was pinned on the wall. When Uther had taken the throne they hadn't been entirely certain of the boundaries of the landmass they were on. Now Camelot's kingdom stretched from shore to shore of the land now referred to as Albion. The only Kingdom yet to merge with all the others was Mercia. The current King of Mercia was an old friend of his and was nearly 70 and childless. After seeing the success of the mergers between the other Kingdoms he had suggested that he was considering signing his kingdom over to Arthur's care on his death.

It was funny Arthur had mused, he had never really set out to claim ownership of other kingdoms. The thought had never occurred to him but even so they had rather fallen into his lap. Due to a combination of careful negotiations, happy coincidences and the spoils of war he had gained command over nearly 50,000 square miles of land.

He had to admit that he would have been buried under the weight of all this if it hadn't been for Merlin. Perhaps he wasn't quite the idiot Arthur had at first taken him to be. In the past few years he had become one of Arthur's most trusted advisors and, though he would never be good at hand-to-hand combat, he more than pulled his weight in most battles. Their most recent work together involved new legislation that would enable people from all over Albion to practice magic provided they had obtained a licence to do so.

Almost all of his knights were married by now, with families of their own. Even Lancelot came by occasionally with his daughter Sarah. Only Percival continued alone, it had occurred to Arthur that he still carried a torch for Kate, even Merlin had admitted that he wouldn't be surprised if this were true.

He sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. Thinking about the time elapsed made him feel even more tired and not a little old. His father wouldn't even recognise the kingdom now, particularly with the daughter of a blacksmith as its queen.

Kate, or Queen Katherine as she was known, had stayed steadfastly by his side in time good and bad without even flinching. Unlike many new queens she had refused to hide in the castle and as soon as they were married had rolled her sleeves up, metaphorically speaking, and gone to work. She was determined that no children should be allowed to go hungry and that all should be given a basic education, even if it was only enough to supply them with a trade.

She had also proved to be a skilled negotiator. The fact that she could hold her own in conversation, heap on flattery when necessary and was not afraid to disagree with others meant that people she met often found that they left with completely altered opinions.

There was a gentle knock and she stood there in the doorway looking breath taking in sky blue. He crossed the room and kissed her on the nose "You're supposed to be in bed" he smiled, glancing down at her swollen stomach

She rolled her eyes "I didn't stay in bed while I was pregnant last time, or the time before that"

"Or the time before that" he finished "I know, but the doctor's said you should"

She pouted "But I'm bored there all by myself" she pushed a stray curl out of her eyes "I can promise you though, this will be the last one, you know Meg started crying today because I couldn't get down onto the floor to play with her?"

Arthur chuckled "Alright, I suppose four children might be enough"

"Might?" she almost snorted "four is plenty"

"That's what you said when we had two"

"I was a lot younger then"

"You're not even in your mid-thirties yet"

"I feel older though"

He pulled her closer and gave her another kiss "If it's any comfort I think you're even more beautiful than the day we first met"

She giggled "flatterer. You realise that that compliment would mean a lot more if it weren't for the fact that when we first met I was running barefoot through a forest with twigs in my hair"

There was a crash from outside and three small figures raced into the room. One was their eldest child, Alfie. Aged just eight he was already nearly an exact replica of his father. Following him was his younger sister Elizabeth. She too was like a mini Arthur but with her mother's enormous amber eyes.

"Where's your sister?" frowned Arthur at his two eldest children, looking for 3 year old Meg who would normally by this point be burying her flaming curls in her mother's skirt.

"In the nurthry" answered Elizabeth, through the gap in her front teeth

"James wants us to come and play with him" said Alfie who was having a rather over enthusiastic sword fight with the air and apparently losing "Can we go?"

Both Kate and Arthur glanced at the doorway and saw Merlin's eldest son James hovering awkwardly in the doorway. He was tall and gangly with a mop of unruly black hair. Exactly between Alfie and Elizabeth in terms of age he was their favourite playmate and even at his young age was demonstrating the beginnings of magical abilities which kept the others entertained for hours.

"Yes of course" Kate smiled and watched as James gave Elizabeth a piggyback and the two boys sprinted out of the room, Elizabeth's delighted squeals as she bounced aong on James' back echoing down the corridor.

"She spends rather a lot of time playing with that boy" Arthur frowned "I don't know if I should be worried"

Kate interlaced her fingers with hers and rested her forehead against his "It's a little early to be worrying about that I think" she kissed him soundly on the lips "we've managed everything so far haven't we?"

He nodded and wrapped him arms around her tightly "I think we'll be fine"

**A/N: So here it is, all finished and wrapped up in a nice little bow for you. I hope it lived up to the time you spent with this fic and thank you for reading**

**- X-magicalmystery-X**


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